Factors affecting the Span of control
Skills of manager
The personality skills and attitude of the manager will affect the span of control as some charismatic managers can handle larger groups
Type of work
If it is a simple task and involves unskilled labour then the span can be large but if it is complex with greater interaction needed it should be narrow.
The subordinates
The education, commitment experience and expertise of those being controlled will have a major bearing. Highly trained motivated staff would be suited by a wide span but inexperienced unmotivated staff would need a narrow span.
MUST USE THE ABOVE THREE POINTS ON SPAN OF CONTROL
The more efficient and organized the managers are in performing their tasks, the better it is to have wide span of management for such organization.
The less capable, motivated and confident the employees are, the better it is to have a narrow span of management so that the managers can spend time with them and supervise them well.
The more standardized is the nature of tasks,i.e., if same task can be performed using same inputs, the better it is to have a wide span of management as more number of subordinates can be supervised by a single superior
. There is more flexibility, quick decision making, effective communication between top level and low-level management, and improved customer interaction in case of wide span of management.
Technological advancement such as mobile phones, mails, etc. makes it feasible for superiors to widen their span of management as there is more effective communication.