What impact might a narrow span of control have on a manager?

It depends on what's meant by "narrow span of control," but I can certainly think of examples that might be helpful in answering this question. When we use the term "manager," we are presupposing this individual supervises and has some degree of control over at least one other individual. The thing to remember is that every manager has their own manager, and so their ability to manage is either aided or hindered by the expectations...

It depends on what's meant by "narrow span of control," but I can certainly think of examples that might be helpful in answering this question. When we use the term "manager," we are presupposing this individual supervises and has some degree of control over at least one other individual. The thing to remember is that every manager has their own manager, and so their ability to manage is either aided or hindered by the expectations of those above them. If the culture at the organization is lenient and casual, the manager might not find support in her ability to enforce an expectation of punctuality. If the head of the organization doesn't demonstrate the expectation that employees are to arrive and leave at a designated time, then a mid-level manager has a narrow span of control when it comes to insisting that her employees are on time.