BNET Business Dictionary
Business Definition for: Span Of Control
- the number and range of subordinates for whom a manager is responsible. The span of control can be calculated by various methods which take into account such factors as whether those supervised are doing the same or different jobs and their levels of seniority, empowerment, experience, and qualification.
Additional Resources
- Assessing Your Organizational Span Of Control
- Span of control refers to the number of subordinates who report directly to a single manager or supervisor. Higher span of control gives rise to greater employee empowerment. Job complexity and job similarity are some of the factors influencing the span of control. The paper examines the modifications to be...
- Presentations 2003-09-01
- Outsourcing, Supplier Relations, And The External Span Of Control
- The outsourcing and supplier relations literature focuses primarily on initial designs while ignoring how superior implementation skills can drive competitive advantage. The concept of external span of control, defined as a firm's overall capability to manage multiple and varying relations with outside suppliers, is put forward to capture implementation differences....
- White papers 2004-05-23
- Train Executives To Monitor Span Of Control
- How can HR help executives enhance the effectiveness of managers who report to them? Train executives to monitor their subordinate managers' span of control the number of people they are currently supervising. This skill is especially important when downsizing or reorganizing shuffles the job responsibilities of junior managers, leaving them...
- White papers 2007-10-04
- How to Empower Employees With the Illusion of Control
- With the specter of layoffs currently haunting so many companies, how can managers keep staff morale from plummeting? By helping employees feel as if they have a degree of control, even in uncontrollable situations. According to a study published in Psychological Science, the more power people have,...
- Blog posts 2009-04-16
- Basic Characteristics Of Organizational Structure
- An organization is a social entity composed of two or more persons who work together towards the attainment of common goals. For the organization to work as a cohesive unit, it is essential that a formal structure of reporting and control be established among the different members of the organization....
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- Highway Costs and the Efficient Mix of State and Local Funds
- Transportation networks and governments are both hierarchically organized. In some states, state government finances most of the highways, while in other states similar roads are financed locally. Larger governments attain scale economies. However they also tend to be more bureaucratic and have higher operating costs, all else equal, due to...
- White papers 2001-11-15
- Outsourcing airworthiness: a question of certification and span of control.(PAMA News)
- There is an alarming trend toward fewer and fewer FAA certificated mechanics performing aircraft maintenance. In fact, the FAA is privately predicting that in five years, 70 percent of all aviation maintenance, including line maintenance, will be out There is an alarming trend toward fewer and...
- Research articles 2005-03-01
- Invensys Presents Best Practices for Remote Operations; Experts describe technology and trends for SCADA system integrity, security and span of control for remote operations of offshore production facilities
- FOXBORO, Mass. -- Invensys Process Systems executives presented current trends and technologies in selecting and installing offshore SCADA hardware and related critical technologies at a Zeus Development workshop on Hurricane Evacuation and Remote Operations HERO. Invensys' presentation, which took place on January 27th, was part of a series of executive-led...
- Research articles 2006-02-08
- Upgrading Talent
- A downturn can give smart companies a chance to upgrade their talent. Downturns place companies' talent strategies at risk. As deteriorating performance forces increasingly aggressive head count reductions, it's easy to lose valuable contributors inadvertently, damage morale or the company's external reputation among potential employees,...
- Articles 2009-01-12
- BP Q3 2007 Earnings Call Transcript
- Question-and-Answer Session Operator Operator Instruction. Fergus Macleod Thank you operator and I think we are ready to take the first question, which comes from Neil McMohan with Sanford Bernstein, Neil are you there? Neil McMohan - Sanford Bernstein Yes thanks Fergus. Just a few questions, the first one is...
- Earnings calls 2007-10-23
- 10 Top Reasons Teams Become Dysfunctional
- Teams, in one form or the other, have permeated corporate America. Teams have even cropped up in the public and non-profit sectors. Team lingo is slung around hallways, staff meetings, work floors and executive offices. Managers enthusiastically instruct work forces to "Be a Team!" and staggering fees are paid to...
- White papers 2003-01-01
- Park City Group introduces ActionBoard; back-office system provides unprecedented span of control over store operations
- NEW YORK--BUSINESS WIRE--Jan. 16, 1995--To help retailers solve the major problems they are facing today, such as high labor turnover, spiraling administrative costs and inconsistent store operations, Park City Group Monday announced ActionBoardTM.
- Research articles 1995-01-16
- LMSB realigns key management personnel for greater efficiency.(Large and Mid-Size Business Division)
- Several stakeholders, practitioners and business leaders have asked the IRS about recent organizational changes made to its Large and Mid-Size Business Division LMSB, which administers taxes for businesses, partnerships and corporations with over $10 million in assets. Most of the changes have been...
- Research articles 2006-04-01
- Organizational Design Fundamentals
- Organization Design OD refers to the dynamics of relationships between different personnel placed at different positions in the organization. The issues involved in OD include degree of decentralization and span of control. An organization acquires an OD depending on its area of work and its corporate strategy. The paper examines...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- Organization Structure
- Organizational Structure OS is the framework that defines formal reporting relationships between different positions within the organization. An effective OS facilitates delegation of authority and allocation of resources. Other issues in evolving an OS include division of labor, departmentalization, and span of control. The paper examines the nuances of OS...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- Organization Structure : An Overview
- Organizational Structure OS is the framework that defines reporting relationships between different positions within the organization. OS facilitates in allocation of resources, delegation of authority, and in giving a definite direction to the corporate strategy of the organization. The issues involved in evolving an OS include authority, centralization or decentralization,...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- Organizing The Business Enterprise
- Organizing is the management function wherein organizational resources are allocated and responsibilities are delegated in order to accomplish long-term organizational goals. Organizational Structure OS is the framework that defines formal system of reporting relationships between employees of the organization. Several factors are involved in the design of the OS. They...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- The Organizing Process
- Organizing is the management function wherein organizational resources are allocated and responsibilities are delegated in order to accomplish long-term organizational goals. It ensures efficient use of organizational resources. Issues involved in organizing include span of control, chain of command, and employee empowerment. Organizational Structure OS defines formal reporting relationships between...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- Organizational Design
- Organization Design OD is the set of decisions and procedures used to effect suitable changes in the Organizational Structure OS to make it more efficient. The issues involved in OD include allocation of responsibilities, reporting relationships, and span of control. Strategic OD depends upon external environment, technology, and other socio-economic...
- Presentations 2003-01-01
- 2006 Insurance Direct Marketing Challenges and How to Manage Them
- Ask any marketing executive and they will attest that marketing, and direct marketing in particular, is getting tougher. The task of generating and acceptable Return On Marketing Investment ROMI is becoming increasingly more difficult. In insurance direct marketing vernacular, T/MC Ratios are declining to unacceptable levels. Generally speaking, deteriorating T/MC...
- White papers 2006-03-02




