What are the advantages and disadvantages of narrow and wide spans of control?

"Each firm must decide how many managers are needed at each level of the management hierarchy to effectively supervise the work performed within organizational units. A manager’s span of control (sometimes called span of management ) is the number of employees the manager directly supervises. It can be as narrow as two or three employees or as wide as 50 or more. In general, the larger the span of control, the more efficient the organization. As Table 7.2 shows, however, both narrow and wide spans of control have benefits and drawbacks. Narrow span of control: This approach allows a high degree of control. Fewer subordinates may mean the manager is more familiar with each individual. Close supervision can provide immediate feedback. More levels of management mean that it is more expensive. Decision-making is slower due to vertical layers. Top management are isolated. This approach discourages employee autonomy. Wide span of control: Fewer levels of management means increased efficiency and reduced costs. Increased subordinate autonomy leads to quicker decision-making. This approach allows for greater organizational flexibility. This approach creates higher levels of job satisfaction due to employee empowerment. This approach allows for less control. Managers may lack familiarity with their subordinates due to the large number. Managers can be spread so thin that they can’t provide necessary leadership or support. There may be a lack of coordination or synchronization."