The authors examined the direct and indirect effects of organizational policies and practices that are supportive of family responsibilities on work-family conflict and psychological, physical, and behavioral measures of strain. Survey data were gathered at 45 acute-care facilities from 398 health professionals who had children aged 16 years or younger at home. Supportive practices, especially flexible scheduling and supportive supervisors, had direct positive effects on employee perceptions of control over work and family matters. Control perceptions, in turn, were associated with lower levels of workfamily conflict, job dissatisfaction, depression, somatic complaints, and blood cholesterol. These results suggest that organizations can take steps that can increase employees' control over family responsibilities and that this control might help employees better manage conflicting demands of work and family life.

After controlling for social desirability and length of service, this study found a positive curvilinear relationship between age and job satisfaction. The significance of these findings, and their implications for human resources management, are discussed.

The purpose of this stud;'was to examine current trends in employer and potential employer attitudes regarding the hiring of individuals with different types of handicap. Highly or barely competent, hypothetical males and females with either paraplegia, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or no handicap were evaluated by 334 upper division industrial technology students for the position of electrical technician. No differences were found in the evaluations of job candidates based on sex, or handicap vs. no handicap classifications; however, competence and type of hahdicap were found to affect decisions. Paraplegics received the most favorable ratings while those with multiple sclerosis received the poorest ratings in terms of both expected performance on the job and hiring decisions. The competence of an individual was clearly the most dominant factor in influencing evaluative decisions. Post hoc analyses revealed no differences between the attitudes of male and female raters toward the disabled, but significant interactions regarding salary recommendations. The implications of these results are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.

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