The Application of Queuing Theory to the Span of Control

Abstract

The article presents information on a study which applied queuing theory to investigate the span of control problem. The author focuses on the issue of ratio of supervisors to subordinates and how many employees a manager can efficiently direct. A discussion is presented about the principle of span of control and properties of waiting line theory. Details related to the application of queuing theory to line manufacturing supervision are presented. The author provides an economic model of queuing theory applied in a military setting.