Short answer
Design interventions that reduce managerial workload and improve interpersonal support systems to boost job satisfaction and potentially improve overall organizational effectiveness.
- Field
- Human Factors
- Source
- Work (2025)
- Method
- Repeated cross-sectional study
- Evidence
- Strong effect
An expanded span of control, leading to higher demands and strained relationships, significantly decreases job satisfaction for first-line managers. This human factors research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Work. Using Repeated cross-sectional study, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design interventions that reduce managerial workload and improve interpersonal support systems to boost job satisfaction and potentially improve overall organizational effectiveness.
Increased workload negatively impacts job satisfaction for first-line managers
An expanded span of control, leading to higher demands and strained relationships, significantly decreases job satisfaction for first-line managers.
Work · 2025
Key Findings
- 01Expanded span of control negatively impacted job satisfaction in certain years.
- 02Work-related stress, particularly high demands and strained relationships, consistently had a negative relationship with job satisfaction.
- 03Control and support positively contributed to greater job satisfaction.
- 04Leadership and management performance showed a positive but inconsistent association with job satisfaction.
Application
Design takeaway
Design interventions that reduce managerial workload and improve interpersonal support systems to boost job satisfaction and potentially improve overall organizational effectiveness.
How to apply
When designing roles or organizational structures for managers, explicitly consider the number of direct reports and the complexity of tasks. Implement feedback mechanisms to monitor stress levels and provide resources for conflict resolution and support.
Project actions
- 01Consider how the number of tasks or people a user has to manage affects their stress and satisfaction.
- 02When designing a product for managers, think about features that can help them manage their workload or improve team communication.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Repeated cross-sectional design allows for examination of trends over time.
- +Use of validated measurement tools increases reliability.
Limitations
This study focused on healthcare managers in Sweden, so findings might not apply to all industries or countries.
Reliability & validity
The use of established tools like the Ottawa Hospital Span of Control tool and the Health & Safety Executive stress tool contributes to the reliability and validity of the findings. The repeated cross-sectional design strengthens the ability to observe trends over time.
Think critically
How might the perceived 'support' from a management system differ from actual interpersonal support, and how would this nuance affect job satisfaction?
Design Principles
"Job design must account for the psychological impact of workload and interpersonal dynamics on employee well-being and satisfaction."
Understanding the psychological and physiological toll of workload on managers is crucial for designing supportive work environments. This insight highlights how job design directly affects employee well-being and, consequently, performance and retention.
What This Means for Your Design
Giving managers too much work and not enough support makes them unhappy with their jobs.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify design decisions related to workload management or support features in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that an expanded span of control, leading to increased demands and strained relationships, significantly diminishes job satisfaction among first-line managers. Conversely, elements of control and support within the work environment positively correlate with higher job satisfaction. This highlights the critical role of job design in managing psychological factors that influence employee well-being and effectiveness.
Source
Work
Expanded span of control, leadership and management performance, work-related stress, and job satisfaction among first-line managers: A repeated cross-sectional study
journal · 2025
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about increased workload negatively impacts job satisfaction for first-line managers?
- Design interventions that reduce managerial workload and improve interpersonal support systems to boost job satisfaction and potentially improve overall organizational effectiveness. Evidence: Work (2025).
- Why does "Increased workload negatively impacts job satisfaction for first-line managers" matter for design?
- Understanding the psychological and physiological toll of workload on managers is crucial for designing supportive work environments. This insight highlights how job design directly affects employee well-being and, consequently, performance and retention.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Design interventions that reduce managerial workload and improve interpersonal support systems to boost job satisfaction and potentially improve overall organizational effectiveness.
- What were the main findings?
- Expanded span of control negatively impacted job satisfaction in certain years.. Work-related stress, particularly high demands and strained relationships, consistently had a negative relationship with job satisfaction.. Control and support positively contributed to greater job satisfaction.. Leadership and management performance showed a positive but inconsistent association with job satisfaction.
- What research method was used?
- Repeated cross-sectional study.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Work.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing roles or organizational structures for managers, explicitly consider the number of direct reports and the complexity of tasks. Implement feedback mechanisms to monitor stress levels and provide resources for conflict resolution and support.
- What are the limitations?
- The study was conducted in a specific healthcare organization in Sweden, limiting generalizability to other sectors or cultural contexts. The inconsistent association of leadership performance with job satisfaction suggests other mediating factors may be at play.