✅ CASE STUDY 1 — TechNet Solutions (Span of Management / Span of Control)
Q1) Analyse the case. How does the span of management affect managerial effectiveness and employee morale?
🔷 Introduction (Student-style)
TechNet Solutions expanded quickly due to higher client demand. Earlier the span of management was narrow (5–6 employees per manager). After expansion, the span became wide (15–20 employees per manager). This change created problems in supervision, communication, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
🔵 A) Analysis of the Case
1. What changed in the company?
- Previously: small teams, direct supervision, close contact.
- Now: very large teams → managers overloaded.
- Managers cannot give time, guidance, feedback, or solve problems quickly.
This directly affects productivity, communication, and employee morale.
🔵 B) How Span of Management Affects Managerial Effectiveness
1. Wide Span (many employees under one manager)
Advantages:
- Fewer managers needed → less cost.
- Faster communication (less hierarchy).
But in this case, disadvantages became stronger:
- Managers overwhelmed → reduced time for each employee.
- Delayed decisions due to overload.
- Reduced supervision → decline in quality and productivity.
- Poor feedback → employees get confused and less motivated.
- Manager stress increases → reduces efficiency further.
2. Narrow Span (few employees under one manager)
Advantages:
- Better supervision and close control.
- More time for coaching, feedback, guidance.
- Strong relationships → higher motivation.
- Managers can identify problems early.
- Improved teamwork and discipline.
Disadvantages:
- More managers needed → high cost.
- Slower communication if too many layers.
🔵 C) Impact on Employee Morale
- 1. Lack of personal attentionEmployees feel ignored when managers cannot guide them properly.
- 2. Delayed feedbackWorkers become confused about expectations and performance.
- 3. Reduced motivationIf managers are busy, employees hesitate to ask doubts or suggest ideas.
- 4. Stress & dissatisfactionNo supervision → workload misunderstandings → conflicts increase.
- 5. Feeling disconnectedLarge teams reduce personal bonding and team culture.
🔵 D) What should the CEO do? (Recommendations)
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Option 1: Reduce the Span of Control
- Hire 2–3 additional team leaders.
- Make smaller teams of 6–8 people for better supervision.
- Improve communication flow.
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Option 2: Decentralization & Autonomous Teams
- Create small self-managed teams with senior developers as leads.
- Delegate decision-making power.
- Encourage ownership and responsibility.
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Option 3: Hybrid Approach (Best)
- Critical tasks → narrow span.
- Routine tasks → wider span but with team leaders.
- Regular feedback sessions + team meetings.
🔵 Conclusion
Span of management directly affects how well managers supervise, communicate, and motivate their teams. At TechNet Solutions, a wide span reduced managerial effectiveness and employee morale, causing productivity to drop. The company should adopt a balanced structure with smaller teams + decentralization to restore efficiency and satisfaction.
✅ CASE STUDY 2 — Medica Pharma Ltd. (Committees)
Q2) What steps can the company take to improve the functioning of committees?
🔷 Introduction
Medica Pharma formed several committees (Marketing, Product Development, Regulatory). Although committees encourage collaboration, they faced problems like slow decision-making, overlapping responsibilities, and confusion in accountability. This shows poor committee design & coordination.
🔵 A) Problems Identified in The Case
- Slow Decision-Making: Committees debate too long and cannot reach consensus.
- Overlapping Responsibilities: Marketing & Product Development committees both discuss product ideas → confusion.
- Lack of Clear Leadership: Committees may not have a strong chairperson to guide discussions.
- Too Many Meetings: Frequent meetings → delays in actual work implementation.
- No Proper Reporting System: Committees do not clearly report progress to top management.
🔵 B) Steps to Improve Committee Functioning
1. Define Clear Objectives
Each committee must have a clear purpose and defined outcomes. E.g., Marketing Committee → promotional strategy.
2. Avoid Overlapping Roles
Specify boundaries for each committee. Prepare a Responsibility Matrix (RACI Chart) to clarify roles.
3. Appoint a Strong Chairperson
A knowledgeable leader must guide discussions, avoid arguments, ensure focus, and conclude with clear decisions.
4. Set a Time Limit for Decision-Making
Committees should follow a meeting agenda, time limits for discussions, and fixed deadlines for decisions to prevent delay.
5. Improve Communication Between Committees
Committees must share minutes of meetings to avoid duplication and keep everyone informed.
6. Use Smaller and Expert-Based Committees
Smaller groups = fewer conflicts + faster decisions. Members should be chosen for expertise, not for filling seats.
7. Introduce Monitoring & Reporting System
After each meeting, prepare Minutes of Meeting (MoM), assign responsibility, and report progress weekly.
8. Evaluate Committee Performance
Top management should periodically check if committees are achieving goals and if decisions are being implemented.
🔵 C) Expected Outcomes After Improvement
- Faster decision-making
- No role confusion
- Better coordination
- Higher accountability
- Improved innovation
- Smoother restructuring
🔵 Conclusion
Committees can be powerful tools when properly structured. Medica Pharma can improve efficiency by clarifying roles, setting deadlines, appointing strong leaders, and enhancing coordination. A well-managed committee system will support faster decisions and better organizational performance.