The relationship between formal participation and control in community colleges was investigated by means of data collected from 656 faculty members and 139 administrators in five colleges which were identified as formally participative by a group of experts and in five colleges which were identified as formally non-participative. Organizational level analyses suggested that formal participation was related to increased faculty control over course-related activities and to a somewhat less hierarchical distribution of control over managerial decisions. Generally, the relationship between formal participation and the distribution of control was not strong; additionally, formal participation was not associated with an expansion of organizational control (i.e., an increase in the control exercised by members at all levels). Individual level analyses indicated that other factors besides the extensiveness of the participative committee structure were important in explaining members' perceptions of influence, particularly the extent to which committees were viewed as powerful by college members. Additionally, the quality of interpersonal relations was related to members' perceptions of influence. The results suggest that formal participative structures, in the absence of other power bases, may have marginal impact on the distribution of organizational control. (Author/JDS)