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.
Tendon is important structure of the human body, since it can sustain tensile loading. The primary function of this tissue is to stabilize the joints they attached to it during daily activities. As well as, tendon has viscoelastic properties that can determine their response to loading and restrict the potential of injuries. One of the major points that this paper works with is the study of the biomechanical behaviour of tendon in response to tensile loading to describe their biological behaviour. Also, conclude the mathematical expression that may illustrate the tendon behaviour. All of the experiments were made in Physiology laboratories / Medical College/ Al- Nahrain University on ten rats "Rattus Norvegicus" of [108- 360] gm weight f
... Show MoreAbstract: This paper presents the results of the structural and optical analysis of CdS thin films prepared by Spray of Pyrolysis (SP) technique. The deposited CdS films were characterized using spectrophotometer and the effect of Sulfide on the structural properties of the films was investigated through the analysis of X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD). The growth of crystal became stronger and more oriented as seen in the X-ray diffraction pattern. The studying of X-ray diffraction showed that; all the films have the hexagonal structure with lattice constants a=b=4.1358 and c=6.7156A°, the crystallite size of the CdS thin films increases and strain (ε) as well as the dislocation density (δ) decreases. Also, the optical properties of the
... Show MoreBackground: Oral health is important to the quality of life of all individuals. Oral lesions can cause discomfort or pain that interferes with mastication, swallowing, and speech. Oral disease is a health problem that is not only a matter of oral hygiene and local condition, but can also be a precursor to other dangerous and potentially life threatening illnesses. The present study was designed to analyze the main clinicopathological aspects of most common oral lesions in patients who visit the Oral Diagnosis Clinic of the College of Dentistry, University of Sulaimani, Kurdistan region, Iraq. Patients and methods: This prospective study was performed on 3144 patients from July 2009-July 2010. In this study a total of 3144 patients were e
... Show MoreA numerical investigation is adopted for two dimensional thermal analysis of rocket thrust chamber wall (RL10), employing finite difference model with iterative scheme (implemented under relaxation factor of 0.9 for convergence) to compute temperature distribution within thrust chamber wall (which is composed of Nickel and Copper layers). The analysis is conducted for different boundary conditions: only convection boundary conditions then combined radiation, convection boundary conditions also for different aspect ratio (AR) of cooling channel. The results show that Utilizing cooling channels of high aspect ratio leads to decrease in temperature variation across thrust chamber wall, while no effects on heat transferred to the
... Show MoreSixty samples of commercially available contact lens solutions were collected from students at the Pharmacy College/Baghdad University. The types of lenses used varied from medical to cosmetic. They were cultured to diagnose any microbial contamination within the solutions. Both used and unused solutions were subject for culturing. Thirty six (60%) used samples showed bacterial growth, fungal growth was absent. Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounts for the highest number of isolates (25%) followed by E. coli (21%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (6.6%), Pseudomonas fluorescence (5%) and Proteus mirabilis (1.6%) respectively. Only one (1) unused (sealed) sample showed growth of P. fluorescence.
... Show MoreIn the present work, experimental tests was done to explain the effect of insulation and water level on the yield output. Linear basin, single slope solar still used to do this purpose. The test was done from May to August 2017 in Mosul City-Iraq (Latitude: Longitude: Elevation: 200 m, and South-East face). Experimental results showed that the yield output of the still increased by 20.785% and 19.864% in case of using thermal insulation at 4cm and 5cm respectively, also the yield output decrease by 15.134% as the water level increase from 4 to 5cm, with the presence of insulation and 14.147% without it. It has been conclude that the insulation and water level play important role in the process of passive
... Show MoreThin films of CdS:Cu were deposited onto glass substrate temperature 400 °c. The optieal properties have been studied for Cds doped with (1,3, 8) wt% of Cu before and after Gamma irradiation. It was found that the irradiation caused an ( Frenkel defects) where the atom is displaced from its original site leaving vacancy and forming on interstitial atom. It was found the irradiation caused an absorption edge shifting towards long wavelength as a result of the increasing of Cu concentration.
This study included estimation of glutathione (GSH) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the serum of diabetic patients type II who are treated with a polyherbs mixture (Nigella sativa, Trigonella foenum-graeum, Cyperus rotundus and Teucrium polium) for three months of treatments. Seventy samples of diabetic patients Type II male and females with age about (35-60) years were taken including 44 samples for group one (24 male, 20 female) who used herbs accompanied with chemical treatment (drugs) and 26 samples for the second group (13male and 13 female) who used herbs only. These groups were compared with 60 samples obtained from healthy persons (29 male, 31 female) at the same age of patients as a control group. Effect of age and treatment fo
... Show MoreAbstract
The research aims to determine the role of the efficiency of Human Resources Information System in the effectiveness of Employees Performance Appraisal System in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research / Center for the ministry, it was touching the researchers need the ministry to devise methods that employ outputs Human Resources Information System in the organization surveyed for the development of methods and levels of process evaluate the performance of its employees, in order to identify the extent of the role played by human resources information system in the process of assessing the performance of employees, we raised the question of the President as follows:
... Show More