Definitions for "Span of control"
The number of individuals managed by a single supervisor. The manageable span of control for one supervisor ranges from between three to seven individuals, with five as optimum. See also control.
The supervisory ratio of from three-to-seven individuals, with five-to-one being established as optimum.
The theory that a manager should never be responsible for more people that he/she can supervise directly. Developed by Urwick in the late 1940s.
The total network resources over which a particular network operator has control. All the network resources listed in spans associated through profile definition with a particular network operator are within that operator's span of control.