The effect of organisational culture perceptions on the relationship between budgetary participation and managerial job-related outcomes

We examine the impact of managers' perceptions of their organisational culture (OC) on the relationship between budgetary participation (BP) and managerial job-related outcomes, operationalised as managerial performance and job-related tension (JRT). Does the relationship between BP and job-related outcomes would depend on managers' perceptions of innovation and attention to detail? Data supported predictions that increasing BP would lower JRT for managers perceiving a high emphasis on innovation within their OC, regardless of their perceptions of an emphasis on attention to detail. When managers perceived low innovation, however, their perception of level of attention to detail had a significant effect on the relationship between BP and JRT. More specifically, increasing BP was found to decrease JRT for managers who perceived low innovation and low attention to detail. For managers who perceived low innovation and high attention to detail, however, this effect was attenuated. Finally, the positive relationship between BP and managerial performance was not found to he affected significantly by managers' OC perceptions.

Non-standard work schedules and health outcomes in Australia : some evidence from the HILDA Panel

What does the around-the-clock economic activity mean for workers' health? Despite the fact that non-standard work accounts for an increasing share of the job opportunities, relatively little is known about the potential consequences for health and the existing evidence is ambiguous. In this paper I examine the associations between non-standard job schedules and workers' physical and mental health outcomes using longitudinal data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA). Specifically, the four health indicators considered are self-rated health and the SF-36 health indices for general health, mental health and physical functioning. Overall results generally suggest a negative relationship between non-standard work schedules and better health for both males and females. Regarding the statistical significance and magnitudes of the associations, however, we observe apparent differences between males and females. Among females, most of the coefficients in all models are statistically insignificant, which implies very small magnitudes in terms of the correlation between non-standard working hours and health. These results apply uniformly to all health measures investigated. Among males, on the other hand, the negative relationship is more noticeable for self-rated health, general health and physical functioning than for mental health. The pooled OLS and random effects coefficients are usually larger in magnitude and more significant than the fixed effects parameters. Nonetheless, even the more significant coefficients do not imply large effects in absolute terms.

Vigorous exercise and birth outcomes in a sample of recreational exercisers : a prospective study across pregnancy

Objective: This study examined the question of whether vigorous exercise undertaken by recreational exercisers across pregnancy, defined in two ways, were associated with reduced infant birthweight and gestational age at birth.

Methods: A prospective approach was implemented. A total of 148 pregnant women participated. Average intensity duration and frequency of vigorous exercise reported were examined and compared with two existing definitions of vigorous exercise. Participants completed questionnaires (including retrospective reports on 3 months prepregnancy) and an exercise diary at 16–23 weeks pregnancy, 24–31 weeks pregnancy and 32–38 weeks pregnancy, and at 7 to 14 days post-partum a birth outcomes questionnaire was completed.

Results: There were no significant differences between exercise groups for birthweight and gestational age at birth.

Conclusions: There was no evidence that the intensity duration and frequency of vigorous exercise were associated with significant reductions in mean birth outcomes for the infants of women who participated in the study. Replication in a large, more diverse sample is recommended.