Recent research has highlighted the importance of headquarters’ (HQ) attention as a key resource shaping relationships in the multinational corporation (MNC) but has overlooked the complex dynamics of attention patterns between HQ and their subsidiaries. Taking a subsidiary perspective, we examine five Japanese subsidiaries of Swedish MNCs over a two-year period and offer a detailed analysis of how different types of HQ attention shape HQ-subsidiary relationships. This research challenges traditional views of HQ attention as a fungible resource, arguing instead that subsidiary managers perceive attention as patterns where attention types accumulate and interact over time. We contribute to MNC management literature by revealing the “dark side” of HQ attention, where attention often leads to negative outcomes, creating vicious cycles in HQ-subsidiary relationships.
