Final answer:
A wider span of control aligns with contemporary corporate strategies aimed at improving efficiency, decision-making speed, flexibility, customer relations, and employee empowerment, contrasting with the rigid structures of traditional bureaucracies.
Step-by-step explanation:
A wider span of control is consistent with recent efforts by companies to reduce costs, cut overhead, speed up decision making, increase flexibility, get closer to customers, and empower employees. Unlike traditional bureaucracies, which are characterized by a hierarchy of authority, clear division of labor, explicit rules, and impersonality, modern organizational strategies emphasize flattening hierarchical structures. This shift away from bureaucracy allows for a more agile and responsive business environment, which is needed to thrive in the information age. Company strategies now favor structures that promote efficiency and flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions and consumer needs.
For instance, during the Industrial Revolution, a clear chain of command was critical for the large-scale production processes of the era. However, modern work demands quick adaptability and problem-solving that rigid bureaucracies typically hinder. Therefore, to ensure productivity and enhance problem-solving capabilities, companies are moving towards structures with a wider span of control that break away from strictly imposed hierarchies and formalization.