Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine if the senior leadership at the six California community colleges with the highest rates of student progress and achievement adhered to eight New Sciences Exemplars, derived from chaos theory, quantum physics, and self-organizing systems. Theoretical framework. The theoretical foundations for this study are based on the research foundations of: Chaos Theory, Quantum Physics, and Self-Organizing Systems. Methodology. This qualitative study used an exploratory and descriptive-comparative, multi-case study approach; qualitative interviewing was used to collect primary data, and the California Accountability Reporting for Community Colleges (ARCC) report was used to collect secondary data. The subjects in the study were 21 senior administrators (Presidents and Vice-Presidents) who responded to twelve interview questions. Findings. Senior leadership described their organizations as either completely or primarily dynamic in nature. They set high expectations for staff. They valued trust-based relationships among themselves, and believed that they were part of a healthy and supportive team. Senior management modeled desired organizational behavior. They used many channels for information exchange. Senior leadership regarded it as essential to employ flexible, intelligent leaders with diverse backgrounds and broad bases of experience. They gave their departments as much autonomy as possible. They welcomed change, and regarded it as essential for their organization's self-preservation. They chose their words carefully, and took care to get day-to-day decisions correct. Senior management believed that communicating an overarching vision was more important than focusing on the administrative details of governing. Conclusions and recommendations. Senior management adheres to the eight New Science Exemplars. Further research is advised: a cross-sectional, quantitative study of many, it not all, of the community colleges would enrich the understanding of the adoption of the New Science Exemplars by senior college leaders. The study should include low performing colleges, and should control for the tenure of senior leaders in their colleges. Additional ARCC measures could be included in the study, and the study should consider using several years of ARCC data.