ABSTRACT
The management of security personnel differs from the management of personnel in other industries. The management of healthcare security officers requires a specific management style that allows for a large span of control and supports individual decision making. Theories relating to span of control go back as far as 1933. V. A. Graicunas used assumptions on mental capacity and attention span to develop a set of management-to-subordinate relationships. The management of personnel is a complicated and challenging process, especially when staff is placed distances apart and many times have to make decisions on their own. The management style that is necessary to supervise security personnel must allow for this type of environment. Douglas McGregor believes that somewhere between these two approaches is the best management style for Theory X employees. The contingency model works within the management of subordinates and supervisors in the security field because of the spacing of personnel and the tasks associated with security work.
