Explaining Gender Gaps in Indonesian Legislative Committees

Parliamentary committees are central in most modern legislatures in the world as key decisions are often made at this level. Consequently, women’s substantial representation in parliament is frequently measured by the appointment of women in powerful and prestigious committees. However, there is relatively little knowledge about how the politics of committee assignment operates, especially in Asian democracies, home to the majority of the world’s women. In this article, the Indonesian case is used to explore two issues, which are the gendered division of committees and the impact of Islam as a party ideology in assigning women to committees. Using a quantitative approach, this article examines a unique dataset of committee assignments in Indonesia’s House of Representatives (DPR) from 2004 to 2014. Interviews with sitting parliamentarians are also used to complement the statistical analysis. The results show that gender bias is an enduring characteristic of Post-Suharto parliamentary politics and Islam as a party ideology is not solely accountable for this disparity in committee allocations.

Training and Manpower Development Techniques Adopted in Nigerian Breweries Plc Impact on National Development

Aims: The study primarily aimed at assessing the techniques the Nigerian breweries adopts in its staff training and development for efficient performance and enhanced productivity; and its impact on national development. Study Design: The study was guided by two objectives which were translated into research questions. The research design comprised of survey and ex-post facto. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted on Nigerian Breweries Plc Aba, Abia state of Nigeria, between July 2017 and May 2018. Methodology: The population was the company’s entire permanent staff numbering 445, comprising 10 managers and 435 non-managers. Stratified random sampling method was used to select a sample of 184 staff. Instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. The face and content validity of the questionnaire was determined using experts in Educational Technology and Measurement and Evaluation, while its reliability was determined using Crombach Alpha method with a coefficient of 0.74 obtained. Frequency and simple percentages were used to analyze the research questions. Results: Out of the 184 staff, between 90 and 183 variously identified coaching, job rotation, apprenticeship, understudying and induction as forms of on-the-job training techniques commonly adopted in the company. Also staff response on non training but motivational techniques positively high in the areas of Free Medical Services 184; Free Transport 102; Transport Allowance 184; Christmas Bonus 184 and others 130.Fewer numbers ranging between 8 and 65 variously identified classroom assignment, discussion and conferences, committee assignment, film, TV and cinema, etc off-the-job training techniques. Conclusion: The study revealed among others, that on-the-job training techniques were commonly adopted and considered most effective too. It also showed that the company’s manpower development was not based on training alone but also on other non-training staff welfare schemes designed to motivate workers.

Agendas and committees in American state legislatures : the causes and consequences of matching priorities with institutional roles

Legislative scholars largely agree on the importance of the committee system in the legislative process. Committees are generally considered the primary locus of lawmaking activity and individual legislators see them as important for accomplishing their goals. In this dissertation I argue that the value of committee assignments to a legislator is entirely dependent on the legislator's policy priorities. For example, assignment to the Agriculture Committee should be of more value to legislators with interests in agricultural policy than those unconcerned with such policy. I devise a means of measuring the degree of this match between priorities and assignments and demonstrate that legislators with better matches are more effective in their chambers. Further, I identify the ways in which individual characteristics and institutions shape opportunities for matching across a sample of American state legislatures. This research shifts the focus away from aggregate measures of committee assignment value and demonstrates the utility of thinking about the particularized benefits accrued through assignment politics.