Toward an operant model of power in organizations.
Power equals control of reinforcement; map those contingencies to see who really runs the room.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Campbell (2003) wrote a think-piece, not an experiment. The paper builds a new way to talk about power at work. It says power is just who can hand out or take away reinforcers.
The author maps out how bosses, coworkers, and even clients control pay, praise, or perks. If you can change those things, you have power.
What they found
There are no numbers. The product is a clear, operant language for power. You draw a simple diagram: list who delivers or blocks the goodies. That map shows who really shapes behavior in any team.
How this fits with other research
Scibak (2025) extends the same idea to politics. Voting, lobbying, and law-making are just bigger reinforcement games. The 2003 workplace model and the 2025 civic model fit together like Lego blocks.
Guerin (1992) and Assumpcão Júnior (1998) did the same trick for rituals and religion. They showed that group-level contingencies keep people bowing, singing, or fasting. Campbell (2003) repeats the move for office life.
Hake (1982) asked for more human operant theory years earlier. Campbell (2003) answers that call with a ready-to-use power map.
Why it matters
Next time you consult in a school or company, stop guessing who is in charge. Ask, "Who hands out the reinforcers?" Draw the map with staff. Then shift those contingencies to support the behaviors you want to see.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this paper is to suggest that behavior analysis can help to explain social power. In this approach, an individual's potential for influence is thought to be partially a function of his or her access to stimuli that can be used as consequences. This access can occur either through direct authority or indirectly through social networks and exchanges. Social power is also thought to be a function of an individual's skill in delivering the stimuli in ways that will have the most impact on behavior. A number of predictions about power based on an operant approach are offered.
The Behavior analyst, 2003 · doi:10.1007/BF03392071