The manageable span of control is considered to be __________.

The manageable span of control is considered to be __________.

• A. 3-5 per supervisor
• B. 4-6 per supervisor
• C. 5-7 per supervisor
• D. 6-8 per supervisor

Answer: (C)

Span of control is the number of people who report directly to a supervisor. The commonly accepted, manageable range is about five to seven direct reports per supervisor. This balance allows the supervisor to provide—without being overwhelmed—effective coaching, timely feedback, and clear communication. If the span is smaller, organizations tend to add extra layers of management, which can create slow decision-making and higher costs. If it’s larger, supervision becomes stretched, making it harder to monitor performance, maintain quality, and respond quickly to issues. The ideal number can shift based on factors like how complex the work is, how standardized the tasks are, how geographically dispersed the team is, the experience level of staff, and the level of administrative or technological support available.

Span of control is the number of people who report directly to a supervisor. The commonly accepted, manageable range is about five to seven direct reports per supervisor. This balance allows the supervisor to provide—without being overwhelmed—effective coaching, timely feedback, and clear communication. If the span is smaller, organizations tend to add extra layers of management, which can create slow decision-making and higher costs. If it’s larger, supervision becomes stretched, making it harder to monitor performance, maintain quality, and respond quickly to issues. The ideal number can shift based on factors like how complex the work is, how standardized the tasks are, how geographically dispersed the team is, the experience level of staff, and the level of administrative or technological support available.