The Problem of Attention Management in Innovation for Sustainability

Brooks, H. (1995). The Problem of Attention Management in Innovation for Sustainability. IIASA Working Paper. IIASA, Laxenburg, Austria: WP-95-041

Preview

Text WP-95-041.pdf Download (402kB) | Preview

Abstract

The problem of attention management is one of the main challenges in the transition to environmentally sustainable development paths. The design principle that attention is scarce is very different from a principle of "more information is better". This paper discusses the issue of "attention management" in various contexts, including R&D and innovation management, scientific communities, and technology policy. The question arising from this analysis is whether dependence on personal contact, tacit knowledge, and "serendipity" to inform the application of knowledge, could be gradually reduced by more systematic exploitation of some of the tools of modern information technology. As shown in another paper of this series (WP-95-040), the attention management problem outlined here is especially important when the knowledge required for actions and technology-planning resides in a different community from the ones with which the technology planner is usually familiar.

Actions (login required)

View Item