In management, span of control describes the number of employees who report directly to one manager.
A manager with five direct reports has a span of control of five. The measure concerns direct reporting relationships, not every employee somewhere below that manager in the organization. It is used when designing organizational structures, assigning supervision, and considering whether a company has too many or too few management layers.
A narrow span can allow closer supervision and more frequent coaching, but it may create additional hierarchical layers and increase administrative cost. A wider span can reduce layers and support greater managerial autonomy, although it may become difficult when work is complex or employees need intensive guidance.
There is no universally correct number. Technology, employee experience, task standardization, geography, and the manager’s responsibilities all influence an appropriate span. Span of control is also different from chain of command, which describes the authority path through an organization rather than the number of direct reports.