May I have your attention, please? The role of framing in attention (re)allocation of early-stage entrepreneurs

Based on 109 monthly interviews with 10 entrepreneurs over the course of a year, we analyse how early-stage entrepreneurs allocate and reallocate their attention over time. Building on Regulatory Focus Theory (RFT), our findings show that despite the possibility of (temporary) vertical misfit, entrepreneurs dynamically shift between promotive and preventive strategies and tactics in response to new cues and situational reframing. We present a process model of active regulation that demonstrates how entrepreneurs navigate critical events by reallocating their attention based on the perceived fit between the situational frame and previously employed strategies. The model emphasises the critical role of updating, as entrepreneurs continuously revise their situational frame based on new cues, leading to tactical (and sometimes strategic) shifts and reallocation of attention. Our findings contribute to RFT by highlighting the interactions between the strategic and tactical levels of regulatory focus and the environment. We emphasise the importance of understanding the temporal dynamics of regulatory focus in entrepreneurship and suggest that attention allocation decisions are determined by situational (re)framing, perceived horizontal (mis)fit, and the entrepreneur’s ability to actively regulate his or her goal-striving efforts.