Attention and communication in public education: a narrative review of the Attention-Based View (ABV) theory

Abstract

The Attention-Based View (ABV) has become established as an essential approach for understanding how individuals and organizations direct cognitive and communicational focus in strategic processes. In this context, this article aims to systematize the contributions of ABV to understanding organizational attention and internal communication in public educational management, especially within public schools. The study adopts a narrative literature review, drawing on searches in the SciELO, Spell, Capes, and Google Scholar databases, covering seminal authors such as William Ocasio (1997) and William Ocasio, Laamanen e Vaara (2018), as well as recent studies that expand the theoretical field (Joseph et al., 2024; Brielmaier; Friesl, 2023; Boynton, 2024), complemented by an interpretive analysis of Memorando-Circular nº 250/2025/SEE/SB as a practical anchoring artifact within the public education context. The findings highlight conceptual foundations concerning the distribution of attention, organizational learning, and behavior-guiding structures, alongside advances that articulate attention, cognition, and organizational structure, with emerging applications in the public education sector. The role of attentional governance and trust infrastructure is underscored in aligning institutional priorities across levels of the educational system, from central authorities to frontline actors. Practical contributions include insights for school administrators, education secretariats, and public policymakers, reinforcing the relevance of ABV as an analytical lens for improving governance and institutional attention in educational contexts. It should be noted that the results stem from the interpretation of the studies analyzed, rather than from applied theory or direct observation in educational settings.