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.
Background: Menstrual problems with all manifestations ranging from life-threatening bleeding to amen- orrhea are considered patterns of abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB), which is until now a popular reason for referral to the gynaecologic clinic and requires a special diagnostic tool. Objective: To assess the accuracy of hysteroscopy in diagnosing endometrial pathologies and to compare it with sonographic and histopathologic reports. Patients and Methods: A prospective study conducted in the Baghdad Teaching Hospital on 60 Iraqi females having varying complaints from abnormal uterine bleeding in pre- and post-menopausal women, infertility, and chronic pelvic pain with normal or abnormal ultrasound findings. Office hysteroscopy was done and
... Show MoreHelminthiasis is a significant economic burden on grazing cattle. Increased resistance to currently available synthetic anthelmintics used to treat helminthiasis, and anthelmintic residues in meat and dairy products pose a significant worldwide health threat. These obstacles require the development of new anthelmintics capable of combating drug resistance while also exhibiting improved safety profiles. Rhynchosia cana (Fabaceae) is a herb that has historically been used as a worm expeller. To evaluate the phytochemical profile and explore the anti-oxidant and anthelmintic effects of different extracts of Rhynchosia cana (R. cana) by In silico and In vitro methods. Using standardised chemical t
... Show MoreBackground: Oral mucositis is regarded as one of the major complications of radiation therapy especially in patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of glutamine in preventing or minimizing the development of mucositis of the oral cavity. Subjects and methods: Forty-six participants were randomly selected amongst those who were planned to receive radiation therapy for head and neck region cancers. They were randomly divided into two groups of 23 subjects, one group received glutamine and the second group received a placebo. Results: Glutamine had a statistically significant effect in reducing the occurrence and/or severity of oral mucositis in the treated patients compared to patients in the con
... Show MoreLasmiditan (LAS) was formulated as a nanoemulsion based in situ gel (NEIG)with the aim of improving its oral bioavailability via application intranasally. The solubility of LAS in oils, emulsifiers, and co-emulsifiers was determined to identify nanoemulsion (NE)components. Phase diagrams were constructed to identify the area of nanoemulsification. LAS NE was formulated using the spontaneous nanoemulsification method. Four NEs (F19, F24, F31, and F34) containing 7-15 % oleic acid (OA) as an oily phase, 40-55% labrasol (LR), and transcutol (TC) as emulsifier mixture at (1:1), (2:1), (3:1), and (1:2) ratio with 30-53 % (w/w) aqueous phase, having suitable optical transparency of 95–98%, globule size of 104-140 nm and polydisper
... Show MoreThe study aimed at identifying the role of the Faculty of Education in the community service in light of vision of the Kingdom 2030 from the faculty members’ point of view at the University of Jeddah. The study used a descriptive method through a questionnaire administered to a sample of the faculty members.It concluded that the role of the College in serving the community is the development of the right habits in the family and the importance of establishing bridges of cooperation between the Faculty of Education and the surrounding environment and teaching special education teachers how to apply some methods of measurement to determine the needs of students with disabilities. The results also pointed out that there are no statistical
... Show MoreThe importance of social exclusion lies in the psychological problems that cause problems in social relations and mental-physical health. For this reason, the researcher set three goals for the current research: identifying the level of social exclusion among people infected with the Coronavirus. The incubation period of the virus. Social exclusion and its relationship to the duration of incubation of the disease among people infected with the Coronavirus. The result showed that the research sample does not suffer from social exclusion. The mean value for the period from
(8-14) days is the highest value followed by the period (1-7) days and the period
(14 days or more) comes at the end. There is no statistically sig
... Show MoreMedicinal plant life have performed an integral role in the development of human lifestyle being used as resources for the manufacturing of contemporary medicines, antibiotics. Microorganisms are responsible for many issues in industry and remedy because of biofilm formation. This study aimed to take a look at the results of Thymus vulgaris alcoholic extract on Staphylococcus aureus the causative marketers of acne in human particularly the women. The extract was acquired mixing 25 g of Thyme powder with 350 ml of 80% ethanol for 6 hours at 40°. Antimicrobial activities of the plant extract and integral oil towards the S. aureus were decided using the agar diffusion technique. The consequences proven that special concentrations of alcoholic
... Show MoreThis study was carried out to determine the effects of crude terpenoid compound extracts of Melia azedarach L. leaves and fruits on some biological aspects of whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Genn.) under laboratory conditions of 25 ± 2°C and relative humidity of 65-70%. The results indicated a significant effect on eggs and immature stages when treated with 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/ml of leaves and fruits. The mortality rate increased with concentration. It reached 98.68, 100, 100, 95.70, 86.30, and 42.68% for eggs, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd nymphal instars, pupa, and adults, respectively, at a concentration of 2 mg/ml for leaves extract. At the same time, it reached 94.86, 100,100, 100, 87.89, and 44.90% for eggs, 1st, 2nd, and 3r
... Show MoreThe current research aims to develop the skills of the kindergarten students in designing and implementing a theater for gauntlets made of cardboard materials. To study this, the researcher determined to build teaching plans for design and implementation skills according to (Kolb model).
The results of this research showed the effectiveness of teaching plans according to (Kolb's model) in developing skills of design and implementation (theater for gauntlets made of cardboard materials) for the students of the Kindergarten Department - the experimental group. Which had a positive effect to reach the desired results in the design and implementation of the gauntlet theater and dealing with cardboard materials