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.
Abstract : This research is concerned with studying the best type and method of irrigation as well as the best cultivated area to reduce the cost of producing dunums of wheat crop in Iraq , and was based on data taken from the Ministry of Planning / Central Statistical Organization About cost of wheat crop production for (12) Iraqi governorates except Kurdistan, Nineveh, Salah al-Din, Anbar) and the sample size (554) according to the cost survey carried out by the Ministry of Planning / Central Statistical Organization for 2017, The results of the research showed that there are significant statistical differences between production costs when using t
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Objectives: The current study aims at identifying the level of perceived stress among nursing college students and determining the factors associated with stress they have. Methodology: A cross-sectional descriptive study initiated for the period on November 1st, 2014 to May 1st, 2015. The study has been conducted on the undergraduate nursing college students / University of Baghdad. The sample of the study was consisted of (128) students who were selected purposively. The questionnaire of the study was adopted and modified for the present study which consisted of socio-demographic data and the scale of
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the Current research aims to identify the psychological stressors coping strategies and their relationship to the cognitive motivation among Al-Anbar University students through the following hypotheses: 1) no statistically significant differences at a level (0.05) among the sample according to the instrumental support strategy depending on the variable type and specialization, 2) No statistically significant differences at a level (0.05) among the sample in regard of coping avoiding strategy depending on the variable type and specialization, 3) There is no statistically significant difference at a level (0.05) in cognitive motivation level among Al-Anbar University students, 4) No statistically significant differences at a level (0.05)
... Show MoreThe study aimed to increase the biological value of white bean. The effect of different concentrations 0.01 ,0.02,0.03,and 0.04 M of sodium sulfite solutions for 1hr at 70 ºC on the trypsin inhibitors activity, protein isolate and protein solubility of complete and dehulling white bean flour were studied.Trypsin inhibitors activity were reduced by 42.97, 58.69, 68.59 and 69.58% in complete white bean flour at 0.01 ,0.02, 0.03, 0.04 M respectively, while the corresponding values were 50.43, 61.00, 75.61 and 85.66% respectively in dehulling white bean flour .Protein isolate value was 13.41% and protein solubility was 2.2% in control sample, Furthermore, the using of chemical treatment showed that protein isolate was reduced gradually and
... Show MoreThe present work aims to investigate approaches, measures and detection of indoor radon level in buildings of the department of physics in college of science of Baghdad University. CR-39 solid state nuclear track detectors were used to measure the radon concentrations inside the rooms, including five laboratories and five workplace rooms in ground and first storey of the department. The average radon concentration at first storey was found to be 43.1±13.2 Bq/m3 and 40.1±13.4 Bq/m3 at the ground storey. The highest level of radon concentration at the first storey in the radioactive sources store was 87.5±29 Bq/m3 while at the ground storey in room(2) was 70.2±24 Bq/m3 which is due to the existence radioactive sources in some selected
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Developing and researching antenna designs are analogous to excavating in an undiscovered mine. This paper proposes a multi-band antenna with a new hexagonal ring shape, theoretically designed, developed, and analyzed using a CST before being manufactured. The antenna has undergone six changes to provide the best performance. The results of the surface current distribution and the electric field distribution on the surface of the hexagonal patch were theoretically analyzed and studied. The sequential approach taken to determine the most effective design is logical, and prevents deviation from the work direction. After comparing the six theoretical results, the fifth model proved to be the best for making a prototype. Measured results rep
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Laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation are considered the most invasive stimuli in anesthesia. They provoked cardiovascular responses that include hypertension, tachycardia and dysrhythmias. Various pharmacological approaches have been used to blunt or attenuate such pressor responses. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of medazolom, lignocaine and propranolol as a valuable adjuvant to fentanyl in attenuating hemodynamic responses to endotracheal intubation in normotensive patients. Thirty two patient with physical status I or II according to the score of American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA), scheduled for elective surgery under standard general anesthesia, were randomly allocated into four groups (8 patients in ea
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