VUCA n+1. To the Infinity and Beyond!

Starting from the observation that nowadays, the need to operate in a world described by Horney et al. (2010) as a world characterized by its volatility, uncertainties, complexity, and ambiguity has become more evident than ever, we aim at identifying and reveal the need for a ceaseless VUCA model. During the last decade, the term VUCA has easily migrated in other areas, being transformed into a common expression due to rapid change manifested in the technological, political, financial, and administrative fields (Sarkar, 2016). In this context, we have analyzed the existing VUCA models and proposed the n+1 version of them. Within the current stream of events, including Brexit and especially the COVID-19 pandemic, the way managers addressed the ever-changing business environment has become less efficient in the current disruptive type of period we are facing. Therefore, the VUCA 2.0 model was developed. The model comprising the same acronym is based on the following elements: vision, understanding, courage, and adaptability (George, 2017). But, in the last years, technology has accelerated the VUCA world and, in 2020, the VUCA 3.0 popped out (Day, 2020). As the results of the analysis pointed out, the incredible pace and amplitude of change, together with the associated disruption in the way businesses are managed, call for the constant development of a never-ending VUCA n+1 model. With a wider spread of automatization, cyber systems, and artificial intelligence, a new VUCA model will soon be necessary. This framework invites the reader to think not only about a potential but to a factual infinite sequence of VUCA models.