Culture, Attention, and Managerial Action: An Application of Quantitative Content Analysis to Textual Data in Brazil and the U.S.

Abstract

Research and managerial experience have long supported the proposition that culture represents a major influence on individual and group behavior. However, scholars have called for further investigation of how culture influences action, focusing on other sources of cultural influences beyond values and assumptions. This paper explores the role of collective attention as a conduit of cultural influences. It is proposed that culture influences action by directing collective attention to a repertoire of action alternatives, and that patterns of collective attention to action alternatives can vary systematically across countries. The findings support this hypothesis and illustrate the utility of content analysis of textual data for exploring new conceptualizations of culture by comparing attention patterns in business periodicals in Brazil and the United States. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.