Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals

How does a collective succeed in practicing the same kind of attention together? This is an essential question for organizations that need to develop a common focus of attention, but it is difficult to address because the objects are multiple and in competition with one another. The attention-based...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Annick Valette, Cyrille Mennessier, Pauline Fatien
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Association International de Management Stratégique (AIMS) 2023-03-01
Series:M@n@gement
Subjects:
Online Access:https://management-aims.com/index.php/mgmt/article/view/5609/15416
_version_ 1797849664237600768
author Annick Valette
Cyrille Mennessier
Pauline Fatien
author_facet Annick Valette
Cyrille Mennessier
Pauline Fatien
author_sort Annick Valette
collection DOAJ
description How does a collective succeed in practicing the same kind of attention together? This is an essential question for organizations that need to develop a common focus of attention, but it is difficult to address because the objects are multiple and in competition with one another. The attention-based view (ABV) highlights the central role of organizational structures (roles, working spaces, social representation, etc.) in the formation of collective attention, whilst simultaneously acknowledging their limitations. Attention-based view thus encourages scholars to explore the complementary role of social interactions. The objective of this paper is to study precisely how interactions relate to structures in the formation of collective attention. To achieve this, we interviewed and observed professionals at a French university hospital over the course of 18 months. Using hypnosis techniques, the professionals sought to pay closer attention to patients’ psychological states. We conducted 52 interviews, studied six observation sequences, and participated in a number of meetings; from this research, we selected and analyzed 29 situations in which hypnosis was practiced. Our results show that whilst cognitive, political, spatiotemporal, and material structures can contribute to the sharing of a collective focus of attention, they are in themselves not sufficient and at times even hinder such sharing. When structures enable, which is to say, when they facilitate sharing, interactions can complete or strengthen them to compensate for their insufficiency. When structures hinder, interactions can play a correctional role. By showing that structures do not act alone but are supported by social interactions that act either alongside or upon them, our research helps to expand the ABV model and contribute to better integrating structures and interactions.
first_indexed 2024-04-09T18:48:18Z
format Article
id doaj.art-cfe3dd4034234511a9878de0bcd340c7
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1286-4692
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-09T18:48:18Z
publishDate 2023-03-01
publisher Association International de Management Stratégique (AIMS)
record_format Article
series M@n@gement
spelling doaj.art-cfe3dd4034234511a9878de0bcd340c72023-04-10T09:44:40ZengAssociation International de Management Stratégique (AIMS)M@n@gement1286-46922023-03-012611710.37725/mgmt.2023.56095609Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in HospitalsAnnick Valette0Cyrille Mennessier1Pauline Fatien2Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble INP, CERAG, 38000 Grenoble FranceUniv. Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble INP, CERAG, 38000 Grenoble FranceGrenoble Ecole de Management, Grenoble, FranceHow does a collective succeed in practicing the same kind of attention together? This is an essential question for organizations that need to develop a common focus of attention, but it is difficult to address because the objects are multiple and in competition with one another. The attention-based view (ABV) highlights the central role of organizational structures (roles, working spaces, social representation, etc.) in the formation of collective attention, whilst simultaneously acknowledging their limitations. Attention-based view thus encourages scholars to explore the complementary role of social interactions. The objective of this paper is to study precisely how interactions relate to structures in the formation of collective attention. To achieve this, we interviewed and observed professionals at a French university hospital over the course of 18 months. Using hypnosis techniques, the professionals sought to pay closer attention to patients’ psychological states. We conducted 52 interviews, studied six observation sequences, and participated in a number of meetings; from this research, we selected and analyzed 29 situations in which hypnosis was practiced. Our results show that whilst cognitive, political, spatiotemporal, and material structures can contribute to the sharing of a collective focus of attention, they are in themselves not sufficient and at times even hinder such sharing. When structures enable, which is to say, when they facilitate sharing, interactions can complete or strengthen them to compensate for their insufficiency. When structures hinder, interactions can play a correctional role. By showing that structures do not act alone but are supported by social interactions that act either alongside or upon them, our research helps to expand the ABV model and contribute to better integrating structures and interactions.https://management-aims.com/index.php/mgmt/article/view/5609/15416abvattentioninteractionsstructuringhypnosis
spellingShingle Annick Valette
Cyrille Mennessier
Pauline Fatien
Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
M@n@gement
abv
attention
interactions
structuring
hypnosis
title Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
title_full Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
title_fullStr Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
title_full_unstemmed Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
title_short Trance-forming Collective Attention: How Interactions Can Support Attentional Structures. The Case of Hypnosis in Hospitals
title_sort trance forming collective attention how interactions can support attentional structures the case of hypnosis in hospitals
topic abv
attention
interactions
structuring
hypnosis
url https://management-aims.com/index.php/mgmt/article/view/5609/15416
work_keys_str_mv AT annickvalette tranceformingcollectiveattentionhowinteractionscansupportattentionalstructuresthecaseofhypnosisinhospitals
AT cyrillemennessier tranceformingcollectiveattentionhowinteractionscansupportattentionalstructuresthecaseofhypnosisinhospitals
AT paulinefatien tranceformingcollectiveattentionhowinteractionscansupportattentionalstructuresthecaseofhypnosisinhospitals