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.
In 2010, the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) was reported for the first time in Iraq. The larvae can feed on all parts of tomato plants and can damage all the growth stages. The main host plant is tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, but it can also attack other plants in Solanaceae family. In this study it was found attacking alfalfa plants, Medicago sativa in Baghdad Province. This finding reveals that alfalfa also serves as a host plant for T. absoluta in Iraq.
This study was carried out from February to October 2012 in six semi salty ponds in Gwer sub-district which is the first work in the area. A total of 32 species and 2 genera of algae where reported as the new records. Mostly the non diatoms are belonging to Cyanophyta, Chlorophyta, Euglenophyta, Cryptophyta, Chrysophyceae, while diatoms or Bacilariophyceae are belong to pennals- order.
In this paper, the maximum likelihood estimator and the Bayes estimator of the reliability function for negative exponential distribution has been derived, then a Monte –Carlo simulation technique was employed to compare the performance of such estimators. The integral mean square error (IMSE) was used as a criterion for this comparison. The simulation results displayed that the Bayes estimator performed better than the maximum likelihood estimator for different samples sizes.
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The objective of present study was to investigate the effect of using mixture volaticle oil of rosmarinus and nigella sativa to improve some of the meat quality characteristics, physical and limited storage time of minced cold poultry meat. Duplex volaticle oil was added at 0.025, 0.050 and 0.075 g/kg to minced poultry meat, these treatments were stored individually for 0 , 4 and 7 days at 4-7C0. After making several chemical, physical and oxidation indicators, the following results were obtained:
The process of adding volaticle oil to minced poultry meat led to significant increase (P<0.01)in moisture, prot
... Show MoreBaghdad governorate has many areas of distinctive architectural and architectural character, which are heritage and valuable areas that we must preserve and take care of. But we see many manifestations of it, which have a negative impact on buildings, areas and roads, so that they distort the view and thus lead to visual pollution in general. The research examined the visual pollution from random advertising, which stretched buildings, walls, electricity poles and sidewalks. The study covered different areas of al-Karkh and al-Rassafa (Jadreya Bridge, Nation Square, Jordan Square, alkindy Street)Most of the distortions were the result of non-removable posters, Handwriting, election candidate adve
... Show MoreThis is a survey study that presents recent researches concerning factional controllers. It presents several types of fractional order controllers, which are extensions to their integer order counterparts. The fractional order PID controller has a dominant importance, so thirty-one paper are presented for this controller. The remaining types of controllers are presented according to the number of papers that handle them; they are fractional order sliding mode controller (nine papers), fuzzy fractional order sliding mode controller (five papers), fractional order lag-lead compensator (three papers), fractional order state feedback controller (three papers), fractional order fuzzy logic controller (three papers). Finally,
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The isomerization of n-hexane on platinum loaded acidic zeolite was studied at atmospheric pressure, H2/nC6 molar ratios of 1-4 and temperature range of 240-270ºC. The measured kinetic data were fitted to an equation based on the bifunctional mechanism and by using independently obtained dehydrogenation and adsorption data. The activation energies of protonation (ΔHpro) and the elementary isomerization step (Eact,iso) and as well as the corresponding preexponential factor were simultaneously determined. The observed values of both ΔHpro and Eact,iso are in agreement with the results of quantum-chemical calculations.
This is a survey study that presents recent researches concerning factional controllers. It presents several types of fractional order controllers, which are extensions to their integer order counterparts. The fractional order PID controller has a dominant importance, so thirty-one paper are presented for this controller. The remaining types of controllers are presented according to the number of papers that handle them; they are fractional order sliding mode controller (nine papers), fuzzy fractional order sliding mode controller (five papers), fractional order lag-lead compensator (three papers), fractional order state feedback controller (three papers), fractional order fuzzy logic controller (three papers). Finally, several conclusions
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