Span of Control, Centralization and Decentralization

Span of Control

Span of Control means the number of subordinates that can be managed efficiently and effectively by a superior in an organization. It suggests how the relations are designed between a superior and a subordinate in an organization.Span of control is of two types:

ü Narrow span of control: Narrow Span of control means a single manager or supervisor oversees few subordinates. This gives rise to a tall organizational structure.

ü Wide span of control: Wide span of control means a single manager or supervisor oversees a large number of subordinates. This gives rise to a flat organizational structure.

 What is span of control?

Span of control tells the ratio between superiors and subordinates. Usually organizations are having two different types of spans. They are

ü Wide Span

ü Narrow span

 What is the purpose of planning?

ü To determine the direction of an organisation

ü To provide a basis for team work

ü To minimise wastages in the future

ü To facilitate decision making

ü To improve morale of the employees.

Centralization and Decentralization

Centralization

It  is  the  process  of  transferring  and  assigning  decision-making  authority  to  higher levels of an organizational hierarchy. The span of control of top managers is relatively broad, and there are relatively many tiers in the organization.

Decentralization:

It  is  the  process  of  transferring  and  assigning  decision-making  authority  to  lower levels of an organizational hierarchy. The span of control of top managers is relatively small, and there are relatively few tears in the organization, because there is more autonomy in the lower ranks.