Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in higher education

In many industries, the introduction of new technological elements will institute a paradigm shift encompassing the entire value system. These threaten to rupture existing value chains, change the form, nature and content of products and their delivery, in and to provide a catalyst to the creation of a tsunami of change and dislocation. The VUCA forces will present businesses with the need to move from linear modes of thought to problem solving with synthetic and simultaneous thinking. They cannot be ignored as hidden in the challenges are the essential opportunities that are necessary for survival and sustainability. This paper explores the impact that the information technology elements are having on the Higher Education (HE) sector through the exploration and application of VUCA forces to a sustainability framework to determine the major areas of challenge. The paper will outline how Higher Educational institutions can identify and thereby potentially address the VUCA effects that impact the sustainability components of economics, ecology, politics and culture.