Globalisation and rapid environmental change have created many challenges for public and private organisations across Iraq as a developing country, particularly in the higher education sector. This includes, for example, decreases in government funding; increased demand for higher education; a need for economic transformation, and related competitiveness of organizations. Such challenges require exceptional leaders and strategic planning in order to take action to improve. In Iraq, the higher education sector is still one of the main foundations in progressing the knowledge economy. Studies into leadership style, strategic planning processes, and the importance of leadership and organisational culture to an organisation’s success have been used to assist both public and private Iraqi colleges in responding to the challenges they face. Although, some studies have examined the interaction between leadership and strategic planning, and leadership and organisational success, there has been no empirical study that has investigated how these three variables interact together. Thus, this study aimed, firstly, to identify the current leadership styles and strategic planning processes in the colleges and the challenges they faced, and to gain an understanding from the perspective of the senior leaders themselves as to how they might best respond to the current situation. Secondly, based on the participants’ experiences, knowledge and perceptions, the study aimed to identify implications for both practice and policy to help improve the colleges’ outcomes. The study involved a mixed-methods approach and was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the researcher gathered quantitative data by administering a survey package to 129 leaders (deans, associate deans, and heads of departments) across both public and private colleges in the capital city of Baghdad. During the second stage, the researcher gathered qualitative data to more deeply explore the survey results by conducting individual interviews with a sub-sample of 21 leaders from both college types (ten public and 11 private). In the data analyses stages, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to compiling tables and charts, and to test hypotheses, by employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Microsoft Excel, and NVivo. The results of study showed that both transformational and transactional leadership styles played a varied and vital role in the colleges’ strategic planning processes, and in turn their success. The fact that private colleges were ‘for profit’ and public colleges were ‘not for profit’, as well as their contrasting funding models, highlighted key differences between the two college types’ leadership and general modus operandi. While it was found that both transformative leadership and transactional leadership styles were necessary to address the challenges colleges faced in the Iraqi educational context, the impetus for change extended far beyond the need for professional development of leaders. The embracing of information communication technologies, and reliable Internet was seen as necessary in all aspects of the colleges’ work and provision for teaching and learning, and students’ success. This applied to both college types along with the need for closer adherence to government regulations and more focused government coordination of colleges’ administrative functions. Furthermore, implications for making successful improvements to practice also identified the need to manage the challenge of sociocultural influences on the appointments and promotions of leaders. It was concluded that a greater emphasis on teamwork and provision of incentives for staff, along with a ‘boost’ to pedagogy and practice, which could be provided through the adoption of information communication technologies and appropriate professional development strategies, would enhance the colleges’ ranks and the status of their qualifications. Also, theoretically, the study offers a value-add to leadership, strategic planning process, and organisational success literature in the form of a conceptual model that links these variables in the context of Iraqi higher education sector.
Polymer electrolytes systems compose of (PEO+KI+I2) and (PEO+RbI+I2) with different concentration, and a fixed amount of ethylene carbonate (EC) and propylene carbonate (PC) over temperatures range 293-343 K prepared by solution cast me
... Show MoreAdolescent pregnancy is common health problem still found in both developed and developing countries; as adolescent may have early sexual practice or early marriage. Adolescent mothers face substantially higher maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality than adult women. This is a randomized prospective clinical study conducted at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. The objective of this work is to assess the adverse maternal, fetal and neonatal outcomes in early and late teenage pregnant mothers. Study sample consisted of 220 primigravid women with a singleton, cephalic, viable fetus and no congenital abnormality that gave birth at Al-Elwiya Maternity Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq. The 1stgroup: early teenage (46 w
... Show MoreChina and India are considered both rising countries, and both are among the world's most populous and fastest growing economies. The long-term growth of both China and India has reinforced the importance of their bilateral relationship. The relations between China and India are complex, as relations between them have undergone great changes during the past seven decades, ranging from friendship to hostility. This study proceeds from the hypothesis that the nature and path of Sino-Indian relations after 2013 are affected by several factors and variables, some of which represent opportunities, others represent challenges and obstacles. Several opportunities have contributed to the reformulation of bilateral relations in terms of mutual ga
... Show MoreIn this work, As60Cu40-xSex thin films were synthesized, and the pulsed laser deposition method was used to study the effected partial replacement of copper with selenium. The electrical characteristics and optical characteristics, as indicated by the absorbance and transmittance as a function of wavelength were calculated. Additionally, the energy gap was computed. The electrical conductivity of the DC in the various conduction zones was calculated by measuring the current and voltage as a function of temperature. Additionally, the mathematical equations are used to compute the energy constants, electron hopping distance, tail width, pre-exponential factor, and density of the energy states in variation zones (densities of the energ
... Show MoreCadmium Oxide and Bi doped Cadmium Oxide thin films are prepared by using the chemical spray pyrolysis technique a glass substrate at a temperature of (400?C) with volumetric concentration (2,4)%. The thickness of all prepared films is about (400±20) nm. Transmittance and Absorbance spectra are recorded in the wave length ranged (400-800) nm. The nature of electronic transitions is determined, it is found out that these films have directly allowed transition with an optical energy gap of (2.37( eV for CdO and ) 2.59, 2.62) eV for (2% ,4%) Bi doped CdO respectively. The optical constants have been evaluated before and after doping.
To determine the relationship between herpes simplex virus 1, 2 and neurological disorders, sixty samples from patients with neurological diseases were collected (40 patients with Multiple sclerosis and 20 patients with Parkinson’s disease) all of whom attended both the Neurological science Hospital as well as the Neuropathology consultation Department in Baghdad Hospital In Iraq. The samples were collected in the time frame between November 2017 and April 2018. The ages of the patients that were investigated were between (17-76) years and compared to a control group consisting of 25 samples collected from apparently healthy individuals. All the studied groups were subjected to the measurement of anti-HSV 1, 2 IgG antibodies by the means
... Show MoreThe study was conducted out at the Ministry of Agriculture's Poultry Research Station/Animal ResourcesDepartment/Agricultural Research Center. To see how body weight (BW) and leptin hormone (LEP) levels inbreeder blood affect fertility and hatchability. 140 Iraqi local laying chickens (120 females + 20 males) aged 28weeks were used in the study. Following the numbering of The experiment was divided into three periods,each lasting 28 days, during which the breeder's live body weight was recorded and divided into two categories(greater than 1.5 kg and less than 1.5 kg), and blood samples were collected at the end of each period todetermine the concentration of leptin hormone in the breeders' blood. For comparison between mothers'performance,
... Show MoreA new benzylidene derivative, namely N-benzylidene-5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine (BPTA), has been synthesized and instrumentally confirmed with Elemental Analysis (CHN), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray. The mutualistic complementary dependence of BPTA with TiO2 nanoparticles as anti-corrosive inhibitor on mild steel (MS) in 1.0 M hydrochloric acid has been tested at various concentrations and various temperatures. The methodological work was achieved by gravimetric measurement methods complemented with surface analysis. The synthesized inhibitor concentrations were 0.1 mM to 0.5 mM and the temper
... Show MoreSince the end of World War II, the United States of America began to look at the Gulf States and Iraq due to the possession of huge quantities of oil, after taking the American oil depletion in order to tighten control over the oil of these countries, has pursued various means, political and military, in the framework of its strategy So that it could achieve this control, which focused on control of production and prices, for the conviction that those who control oil impose control over the political decision of the countries of the world.