A Cognitive Framework for Sensitive Problem-Solving in Hospitality and Tourism

Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) is often treated as a stable trait or interpersonal skill, yet service contexts in hospitality and tourism demand dynamic emotional reasoning and adaptive foresight. This paper reconceptualizes EI as a developmental capacity grounded in executive functions, specifically inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, and demonstrates its application to context-sensitive problem-solving in hospitality and tourism. Drawing on neurocognitive, psychological, hospitality, and pedagogical research, this study synthesizes evidence into a unifying model that integrates the Inhibitory–Cognitive–Emotional (ICE) Pathway with the 4Ps of Empathic Foresight (Perception, Projection, Pivot, and Personalization). The ICE Pathway describes how inhibitory control regulates emotional impulses while cognitive flexibility generates reflective alternatives; the 4Ps of Empathic Foresight operationalize this process as a Socratic recursive reasoning cycle that optimizes ICE-generated options according to context-specific goals. In hospitality and tourism, which are domains characterized by intercultural encounters, emotional labor, and service innovation, the ICE–4Ps model offers a teachable scaffold for cultivating empathic foresight and adaptive decision-making. By linking executive function theory with applied service practice, this framework reframes EI as a measurable developmental process that enhances sensitivity, creativity, and resilience in human-centered service environments.