Lesson Plan

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Lesson Plan
Grade: Date: 17/01/2026
Subject: Business
Lesson Topic: the relationship between span of control and levels of hierarchy
Learning Objective/s:
  • Describe the concepts of span of control and levels of hierarchy.
  • Explain how the width of a span influences the number of hierarchical levels.
  • Analyse the advantages and disadvantages of wide versus narrow spans.
  • Evaluate the key factors that determine the appropriate span in different organisations.
  • Apply the logarithmic formula to calculate the required management layers for a given workforce.
Materials Needed:
  • Projector and screen
  • PowerPoint slides with diagrams and formula
  • Handout summarising key concepts and comparison table
  • Calculators or spreadsheet software
  • Whiteboard and markers
  • Case‑study sheet (retail chain data)
 Introduction:

Begin by asking students how many managers they think a large retail chain needs and why. Link this to their prior knowledge of organisational charts. State that by the end of the lesson they will be able to predict the number of management layers using the span of control concept and a simple formula.
Lesson Structure:
  1. Do‑now (5'): In pairs, list factors that affect how many people a manager can supervise; share ideas.
  2. Mini‑lecture (10'): Define span of control, levels of hierarchy, authority and trust; introduce the logarithmic relationship.
  3. Guided practice (12'): Work through the retail‑chain example, calculating levels for spans of 12 and 4 using calculators.
  4. Comparison activity (8'): Complete a comparison table for wide vs narrow spans; discuss advantages/disadvantages.
  5. Factors analysis (8'): Review the five influencing factors; match each to real‑world scenarios.
  6. Check for understanding (5'): Quick Kahoot quiz covering definitions and implications.
  7. Summary & reflection (5'): Teacher recaps key points; students write one takeaway on a sticky note.
Conclusion:

Summarise how span width determines the depth of an organisational hierarchy and the trade‑offs involved. For the exit ticket, ask students to write one advantage of a wide span and one disadvantage of a narrow span. Assign homework to research a real company’s structure, estimate its span of control and calculate the approximate number of management layers.