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Attitudes, behavior, and reasoned action International Encyclopedia of Hospitality Management Attitudes, behavior, and reasoned action all relate to the way people behave in the workplace. This is critically important in the intensive service context of the hospitality industry. More formally, attitudes are defined as ‘a mental state of readiness, learned and organized through experience, exerting a specific influence on a person's response to people, objects and situations with which it is related’ (Ivancevich, Olekalns, and Mattesson, 1997, p. 752). Attitudes shape the way the world is viewed and how people organize themselves in response to external stimuli. Originally, the word attitude related to the physical orientation of an object - for example, the ‘attitude’ of an airplane refers to the angle the plane adopts as it is about to land. However, in recent times, it has more generally been used to refer to our emotional orientation, even feelings, towards things as shaped by our opinions. Behavior is the broad set of actions undertaken to fulfill various needs and wants. It is formally defined as ‘anything a person does, such as talking, walking, thinking or daydreaming’ (Ivancevich, Olekalns et al., 1997, p.752). Behavior does not necessarily have to be conscious or planned. For example, we can do things out of habit without even being aware that we are doing them. Finally, and in contrast to doing things out of habit, our reasoned actions are those behaviors which we consciously decide to do in order to meet our specific goals. The ‘theory of reasoned action’ was initially proposed by Fishbein and Ajzen in the mid-1970s. According to them, the central factor is the individual's intention to perform a behavior and that one's intentions capture one's attitude towards the behavior, one's perception of control in the situation and one's understanding of acceptable behaviors (subjective norm). For a detailed discussion on this theory see Ajzen (1991). Whilst our attitudes have a major influence on our behavior, particularly in hospitality (Deery, 2002), a variety of other factors have a major impact on the development of our attitudes (Ashkansay, 2002). Generally, they are learned both from our own experiences and the general socialization process wherein we tend to adopt the views and perspectives of the important people in our life such as parents, older relatives, significant peers, and school teachers. Recent research has further indicated that how we develop these attitudes can also be a function of our personality and psychological type, which in turn are a function of our genetic composition. This is particularly the case with how we acquire and interpret information and then express our understanding of that information in our behaviors. For example, whilst some people have an inherent and natural ability to see things in a broad context, others are more adept at seeing things in fine, highly specific, detail. Given that one's perception is one's reality, this can lead to people developing attitudes that may reflect a broad understanding of the wider context, whilst others may prefer to see things in terms of specific details. In a similar fashion, some people have an inherent and pervading desire to express themselves in a very structured logical and pragmatic fashion. In contrast, others may have a preference to express themselves in a fashion which is reflective of a desire for harmony and comfort rather than logic and order. The ongoing debate about the role and impact of genetics (nature) and socialization (nurture) on our attitudes, behavior, and reasoned action will provide further insight and understanding of why we work and deal with ourselves and others in the way that we do. However, at this stage, we have sufficient understanding of these functions to identify their consequences for our work, particularly in the hospitality industry. However, this should not be interpreted as a form of determinism in which one's attitudes and behaviors predetermine them to a particular form of employment or industry. Rather, our knowledge of these phenomena should help inform employment decisions and professional and personal development agendas (Deery and Jago, 2001). Whilst playing to one's strengths is considered a good strategy, rounding out and broadening one's skill base is also a good thing with regard to long-term career progression. If you can reflect upon why you think and behave in a particular way, and then understand why, you must be in a better position to influence, even modify, your behavior to help you achieve your goals. In hospitality, this self-awareness and discipline can be of considerable advantage. Hospitality work tends to involve long hours with bursts of intense activity driven by a combination of production and customer interaction pressures. Whilst some people are considered ‘naturals’ in this environment, others, who still have a commitment to hospitality, may struggle to cope in this environment and consequently find themselves under-achieving in the industry. However, if these people are able to recognize that their actions and behaviors in these situations are a function of their attitudes, which are in turn a function of their socialization and genetic makeup, then they can embark upon a program to modify their attitudes by way of ‘re-learning’ and adjusting their attitudes towards the situation. In turn, they can also develop specific strategies to help them deal with the stresses and pressures that challenge their effectiveness in the workplace. Whilst it is clearly not possible to alter our genetic make-up at this stage, it is possible to alter our attitudes and thus behavior and reasoned action. We can do this by firstly, thinking about our actions and planning them and fundamentally by thinking about why we behave in the way we do and why we have the attitudes that we have. By applying ourselves to developing new ways of interpreting information and considering other perspectives, we will be able to alter our attitudes. In turn, our new-found attitudes may lead us to engage in new forms of behavior, and finally, a more considered and thoughtful approach to pursuing our goals can lead to changes in our planned actions. References Ajzen, I. (1991) The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211. Ashkansay, N.M. (2002) Studies of cognition and emotion in organizations: attribution, affective events, emotional intelligence and perception of emotion. Australian Journal of Management, (27), Special Issue, 11-20. Deery, M. (2002) Employee work attitudes, mobility and promotional opportunities in the accommodation sector. 11th Annual CHME Research Conference, Leeds, Council for Hospitality Management Education. Leeds Metropolitan University. Deery, M.; Jago, L.K. (2001) Hotel management style: a study of employee perceptions and preferences. Hospitality Management 20, 325-338. Ivancevich, J.; Olekalns, M.; Matteson, M. (1997). Organizational Behavior and Management, Irwin Sydney. PAUL A., WHITELAWVICTORIA UNIVERSITY AUSTRALIA © 2010 Routledge, Inc. APA citation: Whitelaw, P. A., & A., P. (2010). Attitudes, behavior, and reasoned action. In A. Pizam (Ed.), International encyclopedia of hospitality management (2nd ed.). Routledge. Credo Reference: https://ezproxy.gardner-webb.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/esthospitality/attitudes_behavior_and_reasoned_action/0?institutionId=5562 Need a different citation style? Find it on Credo Online Reference Service