By focusing managers’ attention repeatedly on certain things, frames can seduce them into believing that these are the only thing that matter.
In effect, frames can constrict peripheral vision, preventing people from noticing new options and opportunities.
Although Firestone competed head-to-head with Michelin in Europe and had witnessed the rapid rise of radial tires there, its leaders still couldn’t see the French company as a serious competitor in their core domestic market.
As a strategic frame grows more rigid, managers often force surprising information into existing schema or ignore it altogether.
Laura Ashley’s managers repeatedly dismissed sales declines as temporary fluctuations rather than as indicators of basic shifts in women’s fashion.