Orchestrating Simultaneous Changes in a Complex World

Abstract

If you were asked what one word best describes the dynamic attribute of the workplace today, a resounding answer could be “change!” More than a decade ago, Degenhardt and Duigan referred to the changing scenes in the world as VUCA, an acronym for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. Here is a brief possible description of each of these attributes: Volatile—instability brought about by rapid changes; Uncertain—the present is unclear and the future uncertain; Complex—overload of information deriving from various interconnected factors; and Ambiguous—lack of clarity to interpret a situation. Indeed, these VUCA attributes have only become more intense in our world today. A look around us is enough is see that changes are exponential, multi- dimensional, and simultaneously occurring on many fronts.
How professionals manage the VUCA world of work is critical. This issue of the InFo Journal presents various studies, ten in all, theoretical and empirical, that highlight suggestions and solutions to the changing scenes at work. To begin with, De Guzman suggests the need to nurture engineering habits of mind among learners through re-engineering the instructional practices.
Three articles focus on organizational leadership in times of change. The articles of Obara and Wa-Mbaleka, and Seboe and Wa-Mbaleka address the importance of practicing the biblical model of leadership by developing the heart of the leader and managing a crisis in higher education integrating leadership theories, respectively. Mukabalisa and Gaikwad have presented the results of a narrative inquiry portraying the life sketch of an Adventist leader in Asia, whose career path supports the leadership emergence theory.
Nasution’s study juxtaposes historical, biblical, and econometric concepts to portray an important contemporary phenomenon. He analyses a the macro- level change, the potential disintegration of EU. VUCA at this best or rather worst, I must say!
Focusing on the classroom level of changes and effective practices are a series of qualitative case studies. Sin Lay presents on cooperative learning in synchronous online classes during these changing times in the Philippines;
Sarempa on the integration of faith and learning in a school in Indonesia; and Kingstone of English language learners’ use of E-learning tools. Petre and Jones’ study describes the experiences of post-graduate students’ transition to faith-based institutions. De Guzman and Kachachhap suggest ways to use hybridized teaching processes using the four groups of models of teaching: personal, information processing, behavioral and social. It is obvious that change itself is changing.
As you enjoy this smorgasbord presented in this issue, I wish to mention that the Info Journal is also going through change. The time has come for me to retire, leave AIIAS, and return to India. I have much satisfaction looking at the past two years of the journal under my editorship. May the journal continue to provide academicians an avenue for both the production and consumption of research. The journal will be in good hands as managed by one of the associate editors, Dr. Ruhupatty. I acknowledge and appreciate the support of the journal team, the readers, and the article contributors over the past two years. May the journal rise to new heights as a flagship of the AIIAS Graduate School.

Prema Gaikwad, PhD Editor
International Forum