ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that there is an inverse relationship between loose coupling and shared meaning of symbols among organizational participants. It shows that presidents are likely to support the move to tenure if they previously succeeded at an institution with tenure. For Accomac and Lakeview colleges, the process of change to a tenure system was part of a larger context of moving into the mainstream of higher education. At Scott College, which abolished tenure, the president tightly controlled the governance and management of the college; faculty were excluded from decision making. For Scott and Rowlette, the process of change to contracts was driven by anti-isomorphic pressures to be different from the norm. Scott College, which rejected the shared governance model, had the most tightly coupled process of the four institutions. Accomac and Lakeview colleges, which embraced participatory management, displayed some characteristics of the loosely coupled/organized anarchy model.
