V.A. Graicunas and the Span of Control.

Urwick, L.

doi:10.2307/254987

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…Capability is an essential factor in assessing the appropriateness of a nurse manager's span of control (Urwick, 1974). Emotional intelligence, experience, and core self-evaluation can be considered when determining capability (Holm-Petersen et al, 2017; Lucas et al, 2008; Wong et al, 2015).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the past, span of control has only addressed the number of direct reports or FTEs (Urwick, 1974). However, other factors such as staff characteristics, required supervision, work complexity, and manager capability must also be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…He explains that the increased number of cross-relationships (i.e., relationships among staff working under the same manager) can negatively affect communication patterns in an organization. Urwick (1974) elaborates on this idea in a corporate context when he states:…”

Section: Patient Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Span of control emerged as a business concept in the 1930s to describe the number of subordinates reporting to a supervisor (Urwick, 1974). Graicunas (1937) suggests that one manager can effectively supervise up to six people with interlocking work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Understanding the Impact of Span of Control on Nurse Managers and Hospital Outcomes

Ruffin¹,

Shirey²,

Dick³

et al. 2023

Journal of Healthcare Management

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Goal: Span of control is a multidimensional concept requiring a comprehensive definition that captures the complexities of the nurse manager's role in acute care settings. This concept analysis aimed to identify factors associated with span of control and provide a comprehensive definition outlining the breadth of this concept. Methods: ProQuest, PubMed, and Scopus databases were used to search peer-reviewed literature addressing the span of control in acute care nurse management. The search produced 185 articles; 177 titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility. Data from 22 articles were included in this analysis. Principal Findings: This analysis includes antecedents, attributes, and consequences of expanded nurse manager spans of control. Work-related factors such as staff and manager experience levels, work complexity, and patient acuity are attributes of a nurse manager's span of control. Our findings suggest that expanded spans of control can have negative consequences on nurse managers such as role overload and burnout. Low satisfaction among staff and patients can result from excessive spans of control. Practical Implications: An awareness of span of control can promote sustainable nursing practices by improving workplace conditions, staff satisfaction, and patient care quality. Our findings may translate across other health disciplines and thus contribute to scientific knowledge that can support changes in job designs and encourage more manageable workloads.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Patient Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Understanding the Impact of Span of Control on Nurse Managers and Hospital Outcomes

Ruffin¹,

Shirey²,

Dick³

et al. 2023

Journal of Healthcare Management

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Urwick evaluated SOC from multiple philosophical views including those of the military, scientific management, human relations and welfare capitalism, which gave him an understanding of the challenges and potential benefits of using SOC. Ignoring SOC, according to Urwick (1974), could damage an organization and result in frustration, confusion and even ill-health of individuals. Urwick's suggestion for the "ideal" SOC was somewhere between four (1955) and six (1956).…”

Section: Organizational Structure Practical Application and Decentralizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Journey of a concept: span of control – the rise, the decline, and what is next?

Zoller

Muldoon

2020

JMH

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Purpose Although the topic of span of control (SOC) has been discussed in detail in management literature and education, less focus has been placed on the decline research since the 1970s and, thus, the future relevance of the concept. By providing a historical overview of the literature on SOC through the work of key management scholars, this paper aims to explain why the literatures’ coverage of the topic has been significantly diminished in recent decades and offers suggestions as to why further research on the topic is needed. Design/methodology/approach The authors provide a historical literature review and analysis on the decline of SOC as a construct of interest. Findings The findings of the paper include a brief analysis of SOC. The concept was a very strong concept that declined as management became more scientific, rejecting classical management theory. This rejection occurred because SOC was impacted by multiple factors making it impossible to effectively study, making it imprecise. Likewise, SOC is too applied and lacked theoretical relevance. However, SOC still has value, especially when paired with a theory such as leader-member-exchange (LMX). Originality/value The authors argue that SOC is still relevant today and management scholars should align its study with its practice in modern organizational structures. However, its focus needs to change and be added to other theories such as LMX.

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Information processing and organizational structure

DeCanio

Watkins

1998

Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization

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V.A. Graicunas and the Span of Control.

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

Understanding the Impact of Span of Control on Nurse Managers and Hospital Outcomes

Understanding the Impact of Span of Control on Nurse Managers and Hospital Outcomes

Journey of a concept: span of control – the rise, the decline, and what is next?

Information processing and organizational structure

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