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.
Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a non-invasive optical technique that employs variations in light absorption produced by alteration in the blood volume in capillaries at the skin during the cardiac cycle. This study aims to understand factors related to PPG morphology; a hand-elevation, the study has modified blood flow to and from the finger was conducted in the laboratory. It is widely established that the position of the limb relative to the heart has an effect on blood flow in arteries and venous. Peripheral digital pulse wave (DPW) signals were obtained from 15 healthy volunteer participants during hand-elevation, and hand-lowering techniques wherein the right hand was lifted and lowered relative to heart level, while the left h
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A new series of ?-D-glucose as Schiff bases derivatives is synthesized and characterized with studying their bioactivity. Hydroxyl groups at C (1,2&5,6) sugar moiety are converted into acetal form through a reaction with dry acetone using phosphoric acid and anhydrous zinc chloride as catalysts producing 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropyledine ?-D-glucofuranose(I). The five memberd ring acetal of C(5,6) is hydrolyzed with acetic acid (65%)and a reaction of the new product with sodium periodate is carried on to get an aldehyde moiety which is used to produce a new series of Schiff bases through reacting with different amino compounds such as 4-amino antipyrene . The suggested chemical structures of the prepared compounds are confirmed by using UV., FT
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The research aimed to compare the performance of the commercial and the Islamic banks listed in the Palestinian's Stock Exchange .To achieve the objectives of the study we selected all the commercial and the Islamic banks listed in the Palestinian Stock Exchange to obtain the necessary data for the analysis process during the period of (2009-2013) .the comparison based on the performance indicators ( liquidity rate, profitability rate ,the activity rate and the market rate).
a statistical method was used to analyze the date to find the performance differences between the commercial banks,
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Background: Arterial stiffness is related with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease events. Patients with atherosclerotic disease show to have larger diameters, reduced arterial compliance and lower flow velocities. Aim of study : To compare between patients of two age groups with concomitant diseases diabetes and hypertension in regard to intima media thickness and blood flow characteristics in order to estimate the blood perfusion to the brain via the common and internal carotid arteries. Subject and Methods : 40 patients with (diabetic and hypertension) diseases were enrolled , they were classified according to age. Color Doppler and B mode ultrasound was used to determine lumen Diameter (D), Intima – media thickness (IMT)
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One of the most significant elements influencing weather, climate, and the environment is vegetation cover. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI) over the years 2019–2022 were estimated based on four Landsat 8 TIRS’s images covering Duhok City. Using the radiative transfer model, the city's land surface temperature (LST) during the next four years was calculated. The aim of this study is to compute the temperature at the land's surface (LST) from the years 2019-2022 and understand the link, between LST, NDVI, and NDBI and the capability for mapping by LANDSAT-8 TIRS's. The findings revealed that the NDBI and the NDVI had the strongest correlation with the
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The research aims to find the impact of a proposed strategy according to the Luria model on realistic thinking among fifth-class scientific students and their achievement in mathematics. To achieve it, the experimental research method and the quasi-experimental design were used for two equal groups, one of them is a control group taught in traditional way and the other is an experimental one taught according to strategy based on Luria model. The research community represents the students of the fifth scientific class from the General Directorate of Education of Karkh First. The research sample (40) students were deliberately chosen and distributed equally between the two groups after making sure that they were equals in their previo
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Background: Osteoporosis is one of the major public health problems from which more and more people in the world are suffering. There is evidence suggesting that osteoporosis knowledge is one contributor to osteoporosis preventive behavior. Aim of the Study: To assess the knowledge regarding osteoporosis risk factors, prevention, and management in women of reproductive ages. To identify any association between knowledge and studied factors.