Abstract: The exploratory case study method and content analysis are used to integrate deliberate inertia and ABV and analyze the allocation of attention and attention engagement during the strategic change in this case study, which reveals how the organizational attention interact through the procedural and communication channels within both top-down and bottom-up of attention engagement during the process of strategic decision-making, implementation and rejection from the deliberate inertia perspective. Conditions of variation in attention engagement are summarized as well. This research expands the study both on inertia and ABV. The results show that: first, deliberate inertia is the key factor that influences organizations to fail to focus on external issues, leading to the maintenance of existing structure or inertia, not due to external environmental pressure, but an individual choice. Second, deliberate inertia tends to create or transform the environment, determines the top-down attention engagement, the allocation of attention and can shape the organizational structure and process. Finally, when there is a distinct deviation between deliberate inertia and inertia from the level of internal routine, it is inclined to cause conflict and pressure within the organization, and stimulate contingency, which in turn affects bottom-up attention selection, promotes the variability of attention engagement and thus leads to strategic change or organizational restructuring.

Key words: deliberate inertia, attention engagement, procedural and communication channels, strategic change