The Many Faces of Span of Control
Organizational Structure Across Multiple Goals
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9957438 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nick A Theobald (0000-0003-4587-7757, University of Kansas, corresponding author), Sean Nicholson-Crotty, Sean Nicholson‐crotty (0000-0003-2297-6939, University of Missouri) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 648-660 |
| Publication date | 2005-01-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Administration & Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0095-3997 • E-ISSN: 1552-3039 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0095399704270585 |
| OpenAlex | W2158946351 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 13 |
As an extension of the existing literature on span-of-control relationships, we propose that public bureaucracies are typically faced with multiple goals creating potential conflicts due to structural choices. In other words, optimal span of control for one goal may not be optimal for another. Findings from an analysis of nearly 600 public bureaucracies provide some evidence that structural changes designed to improve performance on one goal may hinder performance on others. The results from our analysis also demonstrate a functional form for the span-of-control relationship that is very different from the one suggested by recent theoretical work
Bureaucracy · Control (management · Extension (predicate logic · Political science · Politics · Span (engineering · Work (physics · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Engineering · Law · Public Policy and Administration Research
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| Citations per year | 0.64 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2015 - 2025 (11) |
| Highly cited | No |