Span of control

Advantages: 

- Each manager has fewer employees to be responsible for & employees are more closely supervised - increased contact improves the ability to supervise activities carried out by employees & may increase productivity. 

- Communication might be easier as there is fewer people for each manager or supervisor to contact, employees can easilyaccess the supervisor/manager for assistance ~ enhanced communication = faster decision making and problem solving. 

Disadvantages: 

- Often associated with centralised decision making ~ employees are given very little opportunity to contribute to decisions ~ limits their ability to excercise independence in decision making & problem solving. 

Advantages: 

- Allows employees to have some input on decisons being made which can help them feel more involved & valued ~ motivating factor as employees are getting more satisfaction from their work. 

- Fewer managers/supervisors are needed which can reduce the financial costs of the business ~ allowing them to focus on other areas. 

Disadvantages: 

- Difficult for supervisors/managers to supervise the larger number of employees ~ errors and faults can go undetected. 

- Communication might be harder to handle due to the large number of emplyees being supervised ~ can often be time consuming for certain information to reach each other.