Strategic Decision-Making for Innovation in Emerging Organisations: An Adaptive Framework for VUCA Environments (International Journal of Business Ecosystem and Strategy (2687-2293))

Summary

• O’mari Zimbabwe was launched in 2023 by Old Mutual Zimbabwe through Old Mutual Digital Services as an interoperable digital financial platform.p.2
• The paper introduces the Adaptive Inclusive Finance Decision Cycle (AIFDC), which comprises 7 interconnected stages for strategic decision-making in volatile environments.p.1
• The VUCA framework originated at the United States Army War College in the 1990s to explain highly dynamic and unpredictable conditions.p.3
• The PESTLE analysis originates from Francis Aguilar's 1967 ETPS framework presented in Scanning the Business Environment.p.4
• Porter's Five Forces framework was introduced in 1979 to analyze competitive forces that erode value within an industry.p.5
• The recommended innovation management strategy utilizes a 3-horizon portfolio model to protect core services while seeding emerging options.p.11

Key insights

1. O’mari operates as a corporate-backed emerging organisation that must balance Old Mutual’s institutional legitimacy with fintech agility.p.2
2. Strategic decision-making under VUCA conditions must be adaptive, iterative, and evidence-driven rather than relying on rigid long-term plans.p.1
3. Interoperability across mobile networks and multi-channel access via USSD and WhatsApp allow digital platforms to serve both feature phone and smartphone users.p.2
4. Compliance with legislation such as the Cyber and Data Protection Act [Chapter 12:07] should be framed as a strategic trust capability rather than a compliance cost.p.5
5. Dynamic capabilities allow emerging ventures to continuously sense market shifts, seize opportunities, and reconfigure core assets.p.7
6. Contingency theory supports differentiated governance where product teams conduct low-risk experiments while central oversight manages major financial exposure.p.7
7. Modular software architecture enables fintechs to add new services iteratively without destabilizing core wallet infrastructure.p.10