Information suppliers: May we have your attention, please? : Capabilities influencing the creating and sustaining of user attention

Abstract: Attention is a scarce resource. Information is abundant. In spite of everything the digital era promises, this abundance of information challenges the traditional rules of business. Research suggests that information consumes the attention of its users, why effective allocation of attention in organizations is imperative. This research aims to provide a deeper and more nuanced understanding of literature in information management, and in particular, outline capabilities influencing the information supplier’s ability to effectively allocate attention. Where research refers to effective allocation of attention, this thesis translates and focuses on the information supplier’s short- and long-term ability to create and sustain attention of its users. Furthermore, the enactment of creating and sustaining attention have different implications according to literature, the latter emphasising the user commitment to the information. By breaking down the term effective allocation of attention, this thesis constructs a conceptual model divided into three levels of attention allocation. Data collection involved seven interviews with controllers, together with two additional subject interviews. Learning from an information supplier’s perspective established a foundation of data analysis. Based on these findings, this thesis resultantly maps out three different capabilities responding to the levels of effective allocation of attention. A conceptual model, along with empirical findings, outlined information supplying capabilities useful in creating and sustaining of attention.