what are the factors affecting the span of control?

Despite their best efforts, many companies struggle with a less-than-ideal span of control. Large organizations are always changing, and as teams grow or shrink, the span of control can become too wide or too narrow.

However, there are more factors affecting span of control than just the natural evolution of the company. Details like employee motivation, administration levels and geographic dispersion can all affect the organizational structure types that are at play, both consciously and unconsciously.

If you want to stop your span of control (or span of management) from drifting and start taking charge over it, you need to understand the factors that got you to where you are. In this article, we’ll share some of the key factors that influence your organizational structure.

the experience level of the employees

Highly experienced employees won’t require as much supervision or guidance to get the job done effectively. They’re probably also more likely to feel resentful if a manager interferes too much in the details of their work. So teams with a high average experience level are more likely to flourish in an organization with a wide span of control. Conversely, inexperienced employees typically need more guidance and a narrower span of control to work at their best.

the complexity of the tasks

Every employee is different, but teams that carry out fairly simple, uncomplicated tasks won’t need much input and can work well with a wide span of control. Employees that carry out complex, varied tasks involving multiple stakeholders often require a closer managerial presence to coordinate and lead their work.

employee motivation levels

Regardless of their experience levels or the job they’re doing, a motivated employee is more likely to be self-starting and capable of performing without direct supervision from a manager. In teams where employees are less engaged and motivated, a narrower span of control and more supervision from a manager may be needed to keep things moving. 

the capabilities of the managers

It’s not only employee-related factors that affect the span of control — managers are just as important. For example, some managers may be inspiring, compassionate leaders, but struggle to deal with the demands of a large team. Others may be strategic experts who excel when they’re responsible for a large number of direct reports. Neither is necessarily better or worse than the other, but their management style plays a part in determining their ideal span of control.

geographic dispersion

International businesses are used to being spread out across the world, but after the pandemic, it’s become part of daily life for most large companies. According to Pew research, over a third of US workers who have the option to work from home do so all the time. This has a major impact on the ideal span of control — a manager who shares an office with all their direct reports will probably find it easier to manage a large team than a manager with employees spread across multiple time zones.

employee experience

As the competition for top talent gets even tougher, optimizing the employee experience is more important than ever for retaining staff. For some employees, the span of control can have a major effect on their experience. Managers play a significant role in providing coaching, coordinating learning and development and guiding an employee in their career. But if a manager is constantly overworked by their large team, some employees may become disengaged. Your span of control is therefore influenced by the sort of employee experience you want to create.

use of technology

Technology has revolutionized the way we talk to each other at work. How many times have you sent an email or chat message to a colleague who only sits a few desks away? It’s also shaken up trends in span of control significantly. Digital collaboration tools, AI and increased levels of automation have made it easier for managers to handle the administration and communication that comes with leading a large team. However, teams that have been slow to digitalize or require in-person communication may need a narrower span of control to work well.

level of employee autonomy

Today, the old-fashioned organizational structure of a rigid hierarchy and tight reporting line is less common than it was in the past. In many industries, it’s common for a typical employee to work fairly autonomously, possibly as part of a team that mostly manages itself. In workplaces like these, employees probably don’t want or need daily interactions with their manager. It’s likely they would cope well with a fairly wide span of control. However, if colleagues require more supervision and direction, a narrower span is preferable.

administrative support for managers

If you want managers to perform at their best, you can’t stretch them too thin. If bosses have to juggle management duties with burdensome administration, all aspects of their work will suffer. Wide spans of control work best when managers can devote most of their time to the active work of being a manager. The more additional duties they have, the narrower the span of control should be to ensure a well-functioning organization.

One potential fix for this issue that some companies benefit from is handing responsibility for certain management tasks to senior employees. Allowing them to mentor new hires or guide junior employees in company processes can take some pressure away from the manager and allow them to perform at their best.

discover the trends driving changes in span of control worldwide

These are some of the key factors influencing span of control today. But in the future, new pressures may arise that force your company to adapt. Get a head start with our span of control trend report, where we cover some of the key ongoing trends that could impact your company’s organizational structure in the coming years.