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 light of the enquiry raised by the Economist Mary Finn in 1995 concluding that high utilization in absorptive capacity of the economy is of inflationary tendency for industrial countries due to the equality between high rates of utilization of absorptive capacity and resource – shortage conditions leading to price inflation, the same idea was used to prove that budget utilization of operational costs and elevating absorptive capacity at the expense of investment budget leads to inflationary tendency that becomes a burden on financing the step- in policy of the Central bank to control prices through its foreign currency reserves at a time when the economy turned into an importer of non- tradable goods and being subject
... Show MoreFactor analysis is distinguished by its ability to shorten and arrange many variables in a small number of linear components. In this research, we will study the essential variables that affect the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is supposed to contribute to the diagnosis of each patient group based on linear measurements of the disease and determine the method of treatment with application data for (600) patients registered in General AL-KARAMA Hospital in Baghdad from 1/4/2020 to 15/7/2020. The explanation of the variances from the total variance of each factor separately was obtained with six elements, which together explained 69.266% of the measure's variability. The most important variable are cough, idleness, fever, headach
... Show MoreThe Historical effect of Conflict between North and South
Laboratory experience in Iraq with cold asphalt concrete mixtures is very limited. The design and use of cold mixed asphalt concrete had no technical requirements. In this study, two asphalt concrete mixtures used for the base course were prepared in the laboratory using conventional cold-mixing techniques to test cold asphalt mixture (CAM) against aging and moisture susceptibility. Cold asphalt mixtures specimens have been prepared in the lab with cutback and emulsion binders, different fillers, and curing times. Based on the Marshal test result, the cutback proportion was selected with the filler, also based on the Marshal test emulsion. The first mixture was medium setting cationic emulsion (MSCE) as a binder, hydrate
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic periodontitis is an inflammatory disease of tissues supporting the teeth. Salivary compositions have been most intensely studied as a potential marker for periodontal disease. In this study, analysis of saliva provides a simple and non-invasive method of evaluating the role of salivary IgA (s-IgA) levels in periodontal disease by detecting the level of (s-IgA) in patients with chronic periodontitis smokers and non smokers patients and correlate the mean (s-IgA) levels with clinical periodontal parameters Plaque index (PLI) gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD) and clinical attachment level (CAL). Materials and Methods: The study samples consists of (15) patients with chronic periodontitis who were non smokers (
... 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 MorePolymers, being one of the most important materials in dentistry, offer great physical and mechanical qualities, as well as good biocompatibility. Aim of this study was done to evaluate the Polyetherketoneketone and Polyetherketoneketone polymer composite material used as dental implant through tensile strength, Fourier Transform Infrared analysis FTIR, and wettability). Polyetherketoneketone composites (Polyetherketoneketone and Strontium-containing hydroxyapatite) with selected weight percentage ratios of (0, 10%, 20%, 30%), were fabricated using a compression molding technique”, The study involved Samples preparation (sheets) shaped and form into the desired shape according to standard for tests which included tensile strength,
... Show MoreBee keping projects is one of the most important agricltural investment projects because it generate profit in a short period . In addition to the multiplicity of products and other benefits . Research aimed at study the feasibility of two projects one hand in the origin of the Al – Mashrok since 2006 , kicking off with ten hives , and the scond proposal , kicking of 100 hives using the criteria of the world bank . Results showed that the bee keeping projects is economically feasible, whether small or large .. Even when the analysis of the sensitivity of the project to changes which may occur in the price of output and resources by reducing costs and increasing revenues by 10% it remains economically viable .
... 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.