Management Modelsvis-À-Vis the Challenge of a VUCA Environment and Wicked Problems

Abstract

A reductionist approach assumes the existence of a stable, simple and clear environment, characterized by certainty. Under this approach, the forward-looking social and technological changes need to be planned as progressive and incremental, since they can then be anticipated sufficiently ahead in time to understand them and include them in the agenda, so as to prevent their impacts and correct any deviations. But the current environment where companies manage their businesses is quite far from this reality. Instead, the environment is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (the four words that characterize a VUCA environment), giving rise to wicked problems which are difficult to manage. This context will force companies to change their structures , practices and beliefs and, consequently, their management style. The purpose of this paper is to describe such changes and offer a proposal to better deal with the environment.