SPAN OF MANAGEMENT

• SPAN OF MANAGEMENT
  MANAGEMENT
  ORGANIZATION BEHAVIOR
  
  
• MEANING OF SPAN MANAGEMENT

1. ALSO KNOWN AS SPAN OF CONTROL,SPAN OF SUPERVISION,SPAN OF AUTHORITY
2. MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SUBORDINATE ANY MANAGER CAN DIRECTLY SUPERVISE
3. THE MANAGERS HAVING THE GROUP OF SUBORDINATES WHO REPORT HIM DIRECTLY IS CALLED THE SPAN OF MANAGEMENT
4. IN WIDER SPAN OF CONTROL,A MANGER HAS MANY SUBORDINATES WHO REPORT TO HIM
5. NARROW SPAN OF CONTROL, A MANGER HAS FEWER SUBORDINATES UNDER HIM
6. THE CONCEPT IS CENTRAL TO THE CLASSICAL THEORY OF ORGANIZATION
7. PROPER SPAN OF CONTROL IS NECESSARY FOR EFFECTIVE COORDINATION
8. IN TRADITIONAL THEORY SMALL SPAN IS BETTER THAN A LARGE ONE

• SPAN OF MANAGEMENT

1. IS AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE OF MANAGEMENT
2. BASED ON THEORY OF RELATIONSHIP GIVEN BY V.A.GRAICUNAS
3. HE ANALYSED SUPER SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIP AND DEVELOPED MATHEMATICAL FORMULAE BASED ON GEOMETRIC INCREASE IN COMPLEXITIES OF MANAGING THE NUMBER OF SUBORDINATES

• GRAICUNAS’S THEORY

1. HE SHOWED MATHEMATICALLY THAT A NUMBER OF DIRECT, GROUP AND CROSS RELATIONSHIP EXIST BETWEEN A MANAGER AND HIS SUBORDINATE
2. THE NUMBER OF THESE RELATIONSHIP INCREASES WITH THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF SUBORDINATES
3. HE SAID THAT AN EXECUTIVE HAVING 4 SUBORDINATES UNDER HIM IS REQUIRED TO DEAL WITH:

1. 4 DIRECT SINGLE RELATIONSHIP
2. 12 CROSS RELATIONSHIP
3. 28 GROUP RELATIONSHIP
4. ALL 44 RELATIONSHIP

• GRAICUNAS’S THEORY
• HE DERIVED THESE ON THE BASIS OF FORMUALE

1. NO OF DIRECT RELATIONSHIP=n
2. NO OF CROSS RELATIONSHIP=n(n-1)
3. NUMBER OF GROUP RELATIONSHIP=n(2^n-1-1)
4. TOTAL NUMBER OF RELATIONSHIP=n(2^n//2+(n-1)
5.  OR=n(2^n-1+n-1)

·         n=NUMBER OF SUBORDINATE

• LIMITATION

1.     IGNORING THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIP

2.     FACTORS WHICH DETERMINE THE SPAN

3.     FREQUENCY OF RELATIONSHIP

4.     LEFT OUT CERTAIN RELATIONSHIP THAT IS CROSS RELATIONSHIP

5.     GIVES THE INDICATION THAT AN EXECUTIVE MUST THINK BEFORE INCREASING HIS SPAN BECAUSE INCREASE OF ONE SUBORDINATE WILL INCREASE RELATIONSHIP MANIFOLD

6.     HE SUGGESTED THAT AN EXECUTIVE MANAGE 222 RELATIONSHIP OUT OF SIX SUBORDINATE

7.     FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE FACTORS WHICH GOVERN THE ACTUAL SPAN OF SUPERVISION

• IMPLICATION OF SPAN OF MANAGEMENT
• INFLUENCE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL MANAGER’S JOB
• DETERMINE THE SHAPE OR CONFIGURATION OF THE ORGANIZATION
• SPAN OF MANAGEMENT IS REALTED TO THE HORIZONTAL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
• WIDE AND NARROW SPAN OF MANAGEMENT
• WIDE SPAN: LESS HIERARCHICAL LEVEL AND THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE WOULD BE FLATTER
• NARROW SPAN,THE HIERARCHICAL LEVEL INCREASES,HENCE THE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE WOULD BE TALL
• LIMITATION OF THE TALL ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

1. LESS NUMBER OF SUBORDINATES UNDER ONE SUPERIOR,REQUIRE MORE MANAGERS TO BE EMPLOYED.
2. VERY EXPENSIVE
3. INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
4. LACK OF COORDINATION AND CONTROL

• THE MAJOR ADVANTAGE OF USING THIS STRUCTURE IS THAT CROSS COMMUNICATION GETS FACILITATED
• CHANCES OF PROMOTION INCREASES
• EVALUATION OF FLATTER ORGANIZATION
• ADVANTAGE

1. NUMBER OF MANAGERS GET REDUCED IN THE ORGANIZATION
2. EXPENSE IS REDUCED
3. SUBORDINATES FEELS RELAXED
4. DEVELOP THEIR INDEPENDENT SPIRIT

• DISADVANTAGE

1. MORE COMPLEX SUPERVISORY RELATIONSHIP
2. VERY DIFFICULT TO MANAGE A LARGE NUMBER OF SUBORDINATE

• FACTORS DETERMINING THE SPAN OF SUPERVISION
• ABILITY OF THE MANAGER:-INDIVIDUAL DIFFER IN VARIOUS QUALITIES LIKE LEADERSHIP,DECISION MAKING AND COMMUNICATION. THE SPAN MAY BE WIDER IF THE MANAGER POSSESS THESE SKILLS IN GREATER DEGREE AS COMPARED TO OTHERS
• TIME AVAILABLE FOR SUPERVISION:-
• SHOULD BE NARROW AT THE HIGHER LEVEL BECAUSE TOP MANAGEMENT HAVE LESS TIME AVAILABLE
• NATURE OF WORK:-IN CASE OF NARROW SPAN,THE LEVELS IN THE ORGANIZATION INCREASES BUT IF THE WORK IS OF ROUTINE AND REPETITIVE NATURE IT CAN BE EASILY DELEGATED TO THE SUBORDINATES
• CAPACITY OF SUBORDINATES:-LESS SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED IN CASE OF ABLE AND EFFICIENT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE SUPERVISOR  THEN WIDER SPAN
• DEGREE OF DECENTRALIZATION: THE POWER TO MAKE DECISIONS IS DELEGATED TO THE LOWER LEVEL THE SPAN WOULD BE WIDE AND ON THE CONTRARY IF THE SUBORDINATE’S TASK IS NOT CLEARLY DEFINED OR IF HE DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO TAKE IT EFFECTIVELY. SPAN COULD BE NARROW
• EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEM:- FAULTY COMMUNICATION PUTS A HEAVY BURDEN ON THE MANAGER’S TIME AND REDUCES THE SPAN OF CONTROL BUT IF THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IS EFFECTIVE ,LARGE NUMBER OF MANAGERIAL LEVELS WILL BE PREFERRED AS THE INFORMATION SYSTEM CAN BE TRANSMITTED EASILY
• QUALITY OF PLANNING:- IF PLANS AND POLICIES ARE CLEAR AND EASILY UNDERSTANDABLE THE TASK OF SUPERVISION BECOMES MORE EFFECTIVE AND WIDER

• DEGREE OF PHYSICAL DISPERSION:- IF ALL PERSONS TO BE SUPERVISED ARE LOCATED AT THE SAME PLACE AND WWITHIN THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF THE MANAGER,HE CAN SUPERVISE RELATIVELY MORE PEOPLE AS COMPARED TO PEOPLE LOCATED AT DIFFERENT PLACES
• ASSISTANCE OF EXPERTS: THE SPAN OF SUPERVISION MAY BE WIDE WHERE THE SERVICES OF EXPERTS AVAILABLE TO THE SUBORDINATE ON VARIOUS ASPECTS. VICE VERSA
• CONTROL MECHANISM:-THE CONTROL PROCEDURES FOLLOWED IN AN ORGANIZATION ALSO INFLUENCE THE SPAN OF CONTROL. THE USE OF OBJECTIVE STANDARD ENABLES A SUPERVISOR MANAGEMENT BY EXCEPTION BY PROVIDING QUICK INFORMATION BUT IF IT IS THROUGH PERSONAL OBSERVATION THEN NARROW SPAN
• DYNAMISM OR RATE OF CHANGE:- THE SPAN OF CONTROL TENDS TO BE NARROW WHERE THE POLICIES AND PRACTICES DO NOT REMAIN STABLE
• NEED FOR BALANCE:-