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.
ABSTRACT Background:Hydrogen absorption and related degradation in the mechanical properties of Ni-Ti based orthodontic wires has been demonstrated following exposure to fluoride prophylactic agents. This study was designed to investigate the effects of three fluoride containing agents on the load deflection characteristics of heat activated nickel titanium arch wires during unloading phase. Material and method: Eighty specimens of heat activated nickel titanium arch wires were obtained from Ortho Technology Company, half of which had a 0.016 inch round and 0.019x0.025 rectangular. Ten specimens from both wire size were immersed in one of the tested fluoride prophylactic agents (neutral sodium fluoride gel, stannous fluoride gel or phos-flu
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While the impact of the fourth Industrial Revolution on the economy keeps accelerating, the signs of the fifth industrial revolution, whose key is innovation and creativity started to evolve. However, the challenge of achieving sustainable development and its goals remains faced by the global organizations; In this situation, Islamic banks are exposed to many challenges among which is the challenge of keeping themselves abreast of the latest developments in the modern technology which in turn is a tool for continuity and competition. On the flip side, to avoid the negative impact that these changes can have such as an increased gap between financial innovations and the requirements of sustainable development. Islamic banks in the
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The purpose of this research is to demonstrate the impact of banking compliance in combating money laundering and terrorist financing through banks. The phenomenon of money laundering and terrorist financing has received wide attention in the countries of the world and international organizations because of the negative effects this phenomenon has on the global economy as a result of exploiting developments and modern banking operations to pass Money laundering and terrorist financing operations in order to legitimize illegal funds and obliterate their criminal sources, which obliged the banking sector to increase control measures in order to reduce these operations, which conceal money laundering thr
... Show MoreBackground: This study compared in vitro the marginal adaptation of three different, low shrink, direct posterior composites Filtekâ„¢ P60 (packable composite), Filtekâ„¢ P90 (Silorane-based composite) and Sonic fillâ„¢ (nanohybrid composite) at three different composite/enamel interface regions (occlusal, proximal and gingival regions) of a standardized Class II MO cavity after thermal changes and mechanical load cycling by scanning electron microscopy. Materials and methods:Thirty six sound human maxillary first premolars of approximately comparable sizes were divided into three main groups of (12 teeth) in each according to the type of restorative material that was used: group (A) the teeth were restored with Filtekâ„¢ P6
... Show MoreMany studies have been made and still concerning the field of translation. Since the mid-90's a considerable amount of researches has tackled the problem of gender and its effect on the process and the product of translation. Simon (1996, p 508) points out that when comparing women and men as translators and writers through history, women seem to be the weaker side. This paves the way to feminist movements which produce prominent studies concerning gender as a concept and translator's gender as practice on the quality and the accuracy of the translation.
Flotow (in Meschia, 2012, p 1-4) outlines several issues that can be
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This letter dealt with one of the most prominent verbal and contractual issues, which are the similarities of the legal texts, or the so-called news features. The scholars differed as to their interpretation. Most of the verbal schools went on to interpret these texts in a valid interpretation according to the data of the Arabic language, in order to preserve them from the divine self's pronouncement of similar creatures, while we find that the ancestors kept it on its surface with delegating its meanings to God Almighty. This is what Burhan al-Din al-Kurani suggested in this letter, declaring his total rejection of interpretation.
This study aims to explore the relationship between the degree of application of digital leadership and the development of administrative work at the University of Tabuk. It further aims to examine the presence of statistically significant differences between the average responses of faculty members and employees at the University of Tabuk regarding the study axes that are attributed to the following variables: (scientific rank, gender, and job), the study used the descriptive approach in its correlative style, and the questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection, as it was applied to a simple random of (310) members of the faculty and staff. University of Tabuk. The results showed that the degree of digital leadership applicatio
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The evolution of thought, planning for Urban Communities in the second half of the twentieth century, through several successive stages. He was thought of planning urban communities depends on identifying the general plan for land uses of the project area as a basis for drawing charts the physical, social, economic, and put the general plan for land uses based on the terms of reference set by the number of experts in the ministries and agencies. I have lived cities in the Arab-Muslim region, during the transition period the natural and historic environment, urban, sophisticated balanced ways mentioned in the cultural, social, inspired by the teachings of Islam and the customs and traditions of the Arab social, put forth a set of
... Show MoreCancer stem cells (CSCs) are defined as a population of cells present in tumours, which can undergo self-renewal and differentiation. Identification and isolation of these CSCs using putative surface markers have been a priority of research in cancer. With this background we selected pancreatic normal and tumor cells for this study and passaged them into animal tissue culture medium. Further staining was done using alkaline phosphatase and heamatoxilin staining. Blue to purple colored zones in undifferentiated pluripotent stem cells and clear coloration in the chromatin material indicated pancreatic cells. Further studies on the cell surface marker CD 44 were done using ELISA. For this, the protein was extracted from cultivated normal and t
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