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Attention and foresight in organizations

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  • Paul J. H. Schoemaker

Abstract

The challenges of dealing with the future include its vast scope, in time and breadth, as well as its deep uncertainty. In an age when organizational attention is increasingly limited, deciding how much to focus on the future is a central leadership challenge. At one extreme, a firm can devote massive efforts to rigorous analyses of trends and uncertainties to narrow the range of possible outcomes; at the other, it can do very little of this, wait to see what happens, and then improvise as needed. A wide range of postures exists between these two extremes, reflecting the complexity of issues involved, the firm's strategy plus the costs and benefits of a focus on the future versus the present.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul J. H. Schoemaker, 2019. "Attention and foresight in organizations," Futures & Foresight Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(1), March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:fufsci:v:1:y:2019:i:1:n:e5
    DOI: 10.1002/ffo2.5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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