Organizational Attention Elasticity: An Exploratory Case of Cement Production

We use longitudinal, qualitative data from a cement plant to develop a model of Organizational Attention Elasticity (OAE). The model shows how coherent attention to emerging threats varies horizontally across different teams and vertically across different levels in the hierarchy. The data reveal the micro-processes of attention through which OAE develops, and how coherent attention is accomplished horizontally and vertically. By showing 'how' OAE and coherent attention intersect, this work identifies the underlying mechanisms of attention that are important to balance the tension between attention elasticity and attention coherence. These findings have implications for theories of organizational attention.