CHAPTER 3: Change For A New Aesthetic
provides framework for combatting external forces attempting to infiltrate the design decision process of exhibition teams. YOU CAN DO IT! The prevalent change theories distinguish themselves through constructs, phases, processes, and environmental influences. An overlap of elements common to several of the theories does occur.90 Self-efficacy is one of these elements and understanding self-efficacy creates environments open to change in any form, small or large. Self-efficacy is an individual’s impression of their ability to perform a behavior or complete a challenging task set before them.91 This instilled belief is based on prior success in similar tasks, physiological states, and outside forces of persuasion. Self-efficacy predicts the amount of effort willing to be exerted to initiate and maintain change. The United States Department of Health and Human Services advocates the importance of assessing, addressing and increasing self-efficacy before beginning any change campaign. “Strategies for increasing self-efficacy included: setting incremental goals, behavioral contracting, and monitoring and reinforcement.”92 Being aware of self-efficacy allows institutions to better position themselves when enacting change campaigns. When exhibition teams are designing, selecting materials, and fabricating new exhibitions, the amount of decisions required on a daily basis grows exponentially as the opening date approaches. Decisions can be small, large, simple or difficult, and an exhibition team with a high collective self-efficacy will make decisions easily and quickly. If sustainable practices and materials have become an objective for an exhibition team, and the team has not previously worked in this way, each new decision will require investigation and collective agreement. Designers and project managers with high self-efficacy will welcome these decisions and work to master solutions to the challenges presented to them. The confidence level of team members in their personal decision-making skills must be evaluated by exhibition team leaders to be certain learning to design for sustainability will be a welcomed challenge, not a struggle. 90. Ajzen, Icek. “From Intentions to Actions: A Theory of Planned Behavior.” Action Control: From Cognition to Behavior. Ed. Julius Kuhl and Jurgen Beckmann. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1985. 11-39. Print. 91. Bandura, Albert. “Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change.” Psychological Review 84.2 (1977): 191-215. Print. 92. U.S.D.H.H.S. (2005), 21.
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