Employee work–life balance outcomes in Ireland: a multilevel investigation of supervisory support and perceived organizational support

This article examines how employee perceptions of supervisory and organizational support for work–life balance, in addition to the number of work–life balance programmes available, predict a number of work–life balance outcomes including role conflict, job satisfaction, family satisfaction and turnover intentions in a sample of large private and public sector organizations in Ireland. The attitudes of HR managers towards work–life balance programmes are also explored. To account for the nested structure of the data, analyses were conducted using hierarchical linear modelling. We found that perceptions of work–life supportiveness as measured at the HR manager and immediate supervisor levels affect employee uptake of work–life programmes, employee work–life balance outcomes and turnover intentions.     

New Brands Versus Brand Extensions, Attitudes Versus Choice: Experimental Evidence for Theory and Practice

The current study compares better-fitting and worse-fitting new brand names and brand extensions on brand attitudes and choice shares across situations that differ in terms of the amount of product information available and consumer knowledge of the target product category (which had limited effects), 35[emsp4 ]mm cameras (choice-set competitors Nikon and Minolta). While brand extensions and better-fitting brands generally enjoyed more positive brand attitudes and larger choice shares, effects were moderated by product information. When information was limited to brand name and price, the better-fitting brand extension (Sony) commanded more share than did the better-fitting new brand (Optix) which in turn commanded more share than did either the worse-fitting extension (Nike) or the worse-fitting new brand (Topix). But when information on product features was added, target brands were chosen similarly across brand names where the better-fitting new brand Optix garnered slightly (non-significantly; 5%) more share than the better-fitting extension Sony. This weak preference was reversed, however, in the attitude data where Sony was rated significantly higher in liking than Optix. Two focal conclusions emerge. First, new brands can perform as well as or better than brand extensions when consumers process product information. In this study, brand-extension advantages were confined to situations of limited information processing and better fit. Second, since branding effects differed across attitudes and choice, researchers hoping to duplicate in the laboratory the types of branding effects likely to occur in the marketplace may want to expand their traditional focus on attitudes to include choice.     

From Cause To Effect? A new agenda for urban regeneration in Scotland

Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) are the most recent urban regeneration initiative in Scotland. This measure builds on the experience of previous initiatives, in particular the Urban Partnerships in peripheral public sector housing estates and the Priority Partnership Areas (PPA) initiative. However, SIPs would appear to present an advance on previous policy initiatives in that they aim to focus on the causes of urban decline rather than simply the symptoms of social, economic and physical distress. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether this is sufficient to address the complex processes associated with urban concentrations of social exclusion.     

A Simple Measure of β-Convergence

We propose a simple measure of β-convergence which is not subject to Galton's fallacy. We illustrate our measure with OECD data for the period 1950–1988. We find evidence of β-convergence but only in the presence of σ-convergence.     

Regulatory science-Towards a sociological framework

The close relationship between scientific expertise and regulatory policy in certain controversial and public areas has prompted commentators to suggest the concept of ‘regulatory science’. However, definition is generally constrained either to the concerns of regulatory science or to its context. This paper proposes an approach to regulatory science which is both empirically-based and allows a more theoretical treatment of the new conditions of scientific and regulatory activity. A particular case-study of the British agrochemicals sector is presented in terms of a five-way analytical framework for regulatory science. The paper concludes by considering the wider relevance of regulatory science for future sociological and policy research.     

THE IMPACT OF BOND RATING CHANGES ON COMMON STOCKS AND BONDS: TESTS OF THE WEALTH REDISTRIBUTION HYPOTHESIS

Past studies on the impact of bond rating changes have focused on bonds or stocks and the information content of rating change announcements. This paper examines both bonds and stocks and investigates the wealth redistribution effect as well as the existence of information content. The results imply that information content of “bad’ news dominates firm downgradings, while the wealth redistribution effect dominates firm upgradings. Furthermore, this study attributes the lack of information content for bond upgradings to the offsetting effects of wealth redistribution and information content.     

Second opinion programs: continued savings from nonconfirmed surgeries

A second opinion program for elective surgery was one of the first tools utilized by employers to "manage" health care costs. These authors argue that second opinion programs continue to demonstrate their usefulness as part of overall health care cost-management effort.