Mike Morrell is a production supervisor in Porco Rosso, an aircraft manufacturing firm. After evaluating Mike's managerial capabilities, some members of the senior management feel that average productivity would improve if more workers are assigned to him. However, some managers are skeptical about Mike's ability to handle more workers.
-Which of the following statements, if true, would weaken the argument favoring increased span of control?
A) Mike has a reputation of handling interpersonal conflicts effectively.
B) Performance reports from the last few years show that teams that were monitored closely had higher productivity.
C) Porco Rosso recently launched its latest engine model, the PR-4.
D) Market trends indicate that the demand for aircraft is expected to increase substantially over the next few years.
E) When additional workers were assigned to Mike on a previous occasion, it had led to favorable and productive results.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If performance reports show that closely monitored teams have higher productivity, it would suggest that increasing the span of control may not be the best approach to improving productivity. It may be more effective to monitor Mike's current team more closely instead of assigning more workers to him. The other options are either not relevant or actually support the argument for increased span of control.

Mike Morrell Is a Production Supervisor in Porco Rosso, an Aircraft