Management Innovation in a VUCA World: Challenges and Recommendations

Abstract

Our Call for Papers focused on breaking established patterns and models and showcasing management innovation in a world in which Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) reign. VUCA is both an outcome of disruptive innovation and a driver of it; and frequently VUCA is used as an excuse to avoid planning and action. While research has pursued the four elements independently, interaction and integration have been lacking. This article introduces three papers and offers 15 challenges as well as implicit and explicit recommendations to manage in the unpredictable and challenging VUCA world.