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.
The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of the crude extracts mixture of three plants (Tribulus terrestris, Phoenix dactylifera and Nasturtium officinale) on semen quality,sex hormones and reproductive performance of mature male mice. A group of 25 male mice given 150mg/kg/day of the powder of the plants mixture with the food for four weeks and another three groups of 25 animals each given intraperitoneal injection from each of the aqueous and ethanolic extracts with a doses 75, 150, and 300mg/kg/day for two weeks. A remarkable increase in sperm concentration and motility with a decreased abnormal morphology was obtained in the experimental groups. A significant increase in hormones level were recognized in most grou
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Iron , Cobalt , and Nickel powders with different particle sizes were subjected to sieving and He-Ne laser system to determine the particle size . 1wt% from each powders was blended carefully with 99wt% from Iraqi oil . Microscopic examination were carried for all samples to reveal the particle size distribution . A Siemens type SRS sequential wavelength dispersive(WDS) X-ray spectrometer was used to analyze all samples , and the XRF intensity were determined experimentally and theoretically for all suspended samples , Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results were found .
Background: Thymus vulgaris is a plant rich in essential oils acclaimed for the management of oxidative stress and inflammation in the organs. Meanwhile, the heavy metal lead is widely distributed in nature and continued exposure to lead acetate causes reduced fertility.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of T. vulgaris on ovarian and uterine structural and functional characteristics in female rats exposed to lead acetate. Methods: Three groups of 18 mature Wistar albino female rats (Rattus norvegicus), 15 weeks old and weighing between 200 and 210 g, were established and handled for 60 days as follows: Group A (control group) received 0.5 mL of distilled water (DW) daily; group B received 5 mg/kg body weight (BW
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Low temperature and high relative humidity in the spring season led to decrease of field emergence ratio and growth in maize. Planting dates and seeds stimulation can be appropriate fix. Field experiment was conducted in the two spring seasons of 2022 and 2023. Randomize complete block design with split-plot arrangement and four replications was used. Planting date treatments (February 15th, March 1st and 15th and April 1st, 15th) were placed in main plots. Seeds stimulation treatments (potassium nitrate 6 mg L-1 + licorice extract 6 g L-1 as well as treatment of soaking with distilled water only) were placed in subplots. Seeds stimulation (potassium nitrate+licorice extract) or planting date of February 15th were superior at traits of fiel
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Pesticides serve a crucial function in contemporary farming practices, safeguarding agricultural crops against pest infestations and boosting production outputs. However, indiscriminate use has caused environmental and human health damage. This study aimed to develop and validate a gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) methodology for the direct and routine analysis of spiromesifen residues in soil, leaves, and tomato fruits. The proposed method prioritizes simplicity by avoiding derivatization steps, offering advantages over existing approaches that utilize lengthy multi-step extraction or derivatization prior to GC analysis. A key novelty of this work is the development of a QuEChERS extraction coupled directly to GC-FID
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The current research aims to study social capital and its effect in enhancing the psychological empowerment of workers through the two variables of social capital within its dimensions (structural, relational, cognitive) and the variable of psychological empowerment within its components (ability, meaning, personal will and influence). The questionnaire was used as a main tool in the collection of data and with data collected from a sample of 168 employees in the Municipality of Samawa Municipality, which is part of the Ministry of Construction, Housing, Municipalities and Public Works. The results of the research (The impact of social capital in enhancing the psychological empowerment of workersApplied research in the Dire
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the study aimed to identify the impact of the types of cooking utensils in transition metal elements to food and the effect of acid and storage in the concentration of these elements. used five types of cooking utensils including aluminum. tefal, astainls steel, glass. (pyrex), and ceramic prepared in it the food meal. the same meals were repeated add to them acid. the estimate of mineral elements in the meal prepared before storage and after storage in refrigerator temperature degree. the result shows the increase of aluminum concentration in the meals that prepared in aluminum pot reaching 2.913 pmm while reached less concentration in the meal prepared in astainls pot reaching 0.325 pmm. the highest concentration of iron reached 25.2 p
... Show MoreThe species of Opilio kakunini Snegovaya, Cokendolpher & Mozaffarian, 2018 was recorded for the first time in Iraq; as well as to four species belonging to this order which were recorded previously. In this paper, we added a new species to the checklist of Iraqi opilionid fauna with a description of the most important characteristics, along with genitalia, for both males and females are presented with digital photographs. Specimens of males and females were collected from Al- Rifai district northern of Dhi-Qar Province, southern of Iraq.
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