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AbstractWhile scholars have argued that membership in Regional Organizations (ROs) can increase the likelihood of democratization, we see many autocratic regimes surviving in power albeit being members of several ROs. This article argues that this is the case because these regimes are often members in "Clubs of Autocrats" that supply material and ideational resources to strengthen domestic survival politics and shield members from external interference during moments of political turmoil. The argument is supported by survival analysis testing the effect of membership in autocratic ROs on regime survival between 1946 to 2010. It finds that membership in ROs composed of more autocratic member states does in fact raise the likelihood of regime survival by protecting incumbents against democratic challenges such as civil unrest or political dissent. However, autocratic RO membership does not help to prevent regime breakdown due to autocratic challenges like military coups, potentially because these types of threats are less likely to diffuse to other member states. The article thereby adds to our understanding of the limits of democratization and potential reverse effects of international cooperation, and contributes to the literature addressing interdependences of international and domestic politics in autocratic regimes.

The international dimension of authoritarian resilience is receiving increased attention by scholars of comparative politics and international relations alike. Research suggests that autocratic states exploit regionalism to boost domestic regime security. This article explains how membership in regional organizations can help to strengthen survival chances of autocratic incumbent elites. It argues that membership provides additional material, informational, and ideational resources to autocratic incumbents that can be used to boost domestic survival strategies vis-a-vis internal and external challengers. The article provides qualitative case-based evidence to show how autocratic incumbents in Zimbabwe, China, and Bahrain have benefited from the involvement of regional organizations during moments of political instability to strengthen legitimation, repression, co-optation, and international appeasement strategies. The article thereby provides the first encompassing explanation linking regionalism and authoritarian survival politics that is applicable across regions and different types of authoritarian regimes.

The case study is focused on the application of principal quality tools in a fourth generation jet fighter to evaluate a maintenance activity in an accident investigation process. The paper assesses aircraft engineers' performance on checking aircraft tyre inflation pressure before the aircraft's flight. Process evaluation is organized by the application of fundamental quality tools in order to provide vital information regarding the level of control. The methodology combines the benefits of statistical quality control, root cause determination, and preventive actions, to eliminate maintenance discrepancy in the future. The methodology revealed an approach to generate useful safety metrics from incident reporting data. Furthermore, this study pointed out the significance of participation at all technician levels for the successful implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). Also, it discusses the value of TQM in aviation and suggests that continuous improvement is still needed. The paper is based on practical work being undertaken in a military squadron and, therefore, is demonstrated to be practical in an aviation environment. This study would encourage aviation personnel to rely on TQM methods for performing quality assessment monitoring and achieving continuous improvement.

The case study is focused on the application of principal quality tools in a fourth generation jet fighter to evaluate a maintenance activity in an accident investigation process. The paper assesses aircraft engineers' performance on checking aircraft tyre inflation pressure before the aircraft's flight. Process evaluation is organized by the application of fundamental quality tools in order to provide vital information regarding the level of control. The methodology combines the benefits of statistical quality control, root cause determination, and preventive actions, to eliminate maintenance discrepancy in the future. The methodology revealed an approach to generate useful safety metrics from incident reporting data. Furthermore, this study pointed out the significance of participation at all technician levels for the successful implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). Also, it discusses the value of TQM in aviation and suggests that continuous improvement is still needed. The paper is based on practical work being undertaken in a military squadron and, therefore, is demonstrated to be practical in an aviation environment. This study would encourage aviation personnel to rely on TQM methods for performing quality assessment monitoring and achieving continuous improvement.

The dominant narrative about women's progress in public administration focuses on identifying the obstacles to that progress and how to overcome them. But to make real progress toward gender equality and social justice, we must rethink our entire approach to research. Understanding the difference women make via narrative inquiry is a necessary change to the prevailing dialectic.

Empirical research on the difference that gender makes is sparse. This study is the first step toward providing evidence that agencies led by women perform better than those led by men. Using the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) data, this study examines the research question: Are women improving federal government agency performance? Preliminary results indicate that they do. The broader goal of social justice frames the discussion of findings.