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.
Films of pure Poly (methyl methacrylate) PMMA and Iron chromate doped PMMA have been prepared using casting method. Transmission and absorptance spectra have been recorded in the wavelength range (300-900) nm, in order to calculate, single oscillator energy, dispersion energy proposed by Wemple - DiDomenico model, average oscillator strength, average oscillator wavelength. The refractive index data at infinite wavelength which was found to obey single oscillator model which was found to increase from 2.27-2.56 as the doping percentage increase. The decreasing in the optical energy gap which was found according to Tauc model were (3.74-3.63) eV , is in good agreement with that obtained by wimple-DiDomenico model. The inverse behavior comp
... Show MoreIn this work, the emission spectra and atomic structure of the aluminum target had been studied theoretically using Cowan code. Cowan code was used to calculate the transitions of electrons between atomic configuration interactions using the mathematical method called (Hartree-Fock). The aluminum target can give a good emission spectrum in the XUV region at 10 nm with oscillator strength of 1.82.
The hydrodynamic properties of laser produced plasma (LPP) were investigated for the purpose of creating a light source working in the EUV region. Such a light source is very important for lithography (semiconductor manufacturing). The improved MEDUSA (Med103) code can calculate the plasma hydrodynamic properties (velocity, electron density,
The research included four chapters starting with the chapter dealing with the problem of child abuse which was one of the most important educational and social problems faced by children from their parents or family members. The most common forms of abuse are physical and psychological violence. The problem of school delays is also one of the most important educational and psychological issues that concern educators, which occur because of violence and neglect of the family. The study pointed out that domestic violence is one of the issues that has started to alarm both the global and local communities, because childhood is one of the most important stages of the human development system, which is healthy in terms of physical, mental, p
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Ureteric obstruction is rarely noted in cases of gastric cancer. Its involvement by distant metastasis from gastric adenocarcinoma without direct invasion is an exceptionally unusual occurrence. This is the story of a 58-year-old man who arrived at the emergency department with acute flank pain and fever. He was initially diagnosed with obstructive pyelonephritis after the discovery of a new onset, complete ureteric obstruction on the left side. Subsequent investigations and follow-up revealed the presence of gastric adenocarcinoma with possible ureteric metastasis bilaterally, flank pain and hydronephrosis were the first and only presentations of gastric cancer. The rarity of the condition and the unusual presentation encouraged us to r
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Partial shading is one of the problems that affects the power production and the efficiency of photovoltaic module. A series of experimental work have been done of partial shading of monocrystalline PV module; 50W, Isc: 3.1A, Voc: 22V with 36 cells in series is achieved. Non-linear power output responses of the module are observed by applying various cases of partial shading (vertical and horizontal shading of solar cells in the module). Shading a single cell (corner cell) has the greatest impact on output energy. Horizontal shading or vertical shading reduced the power from 41W to 18W at constant solar radiation 1000W/m2 and steady state condition. Vertical blocking a column
... Show MoreThe Nano materials play a very important role in the heat transfer enhancement. An experimental investigation has been done to understand the behaviors of nano and micro materials on critical heat flux. Pool boiling experiments have used for several concentrations of nano and micro particles on a 0.4 mm diameter nickel chrome (Ni-Cr) wire heater which is heated electrically at atmospheric pressure. Zinc oxide(ZnO) and silica(SiO2) were used as a nano and micro fluids with concentrations (0.01,0.05,0.1,0.3,0.5,1 g/L), a marked enhancement in CHF have been shown in the results for nano and micro fluids for different concentrations compared to distilled water. The deposition of the nano particles on the heater surface was the rea
... Show MoreThis research aims to investigate the color distribution of a huge sample of 613654 galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Those galaxies are at a redshift of 0.001 - 0.5 and have magnitudes of g = 17 - 20. Five subsamples of galaxies at redshifts of (0.001 - 0.1), (0.1 - 0.2), (0.2 - 0.3), (0.3 - 0.4) and (0.4 - 0.5) have been extracted from the main sample. The color distributions (u-g), (g-r) and (u-r) have been produced and analysed using a Matlab code for the main sample as well as all five subsamples. Then a bimodal Gaussian fit to color distributions of data that have been carried out using minimum chi-square in Microsoft Office Excel. The results showed that the color distributions of the main sample and
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In this study, the investigation of Local natural Iraqi rocks kaolin with the addition of different proportions of bauxite and its effect on the physical and mechanical properties of the produced refractories was conducted. Kaolin/bauxite mixture was milled and classified into various size fractions, the kaolin (less than 105 μm) and the bauxite (less than 70μm). The specimens were mixed from kaolin and bauxite in ranges B1 (95+5)%, B2 (90+10)%, B3(85+15)%, and B4 (80+20)% respectively. The green specimens were shaped by the semi-dry method using a hydraulic press and a molding pressure of 7 MPa with the addition of (9-12) %wt. of PVA ratio. After molding and drying, the specimens were fired at (1100, 1200 and 13
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Infrastructure, especially wastewater projects, plays an important role in the life of residential communities. Due to the increasing population growth, there is also a significant increase in residential and commercial facilities. This research aims to develop two models for predicting the cost and time of wastewater projects according to independent variables affecting them. These variables have been determined through a questionnaire distributed to 20 projects under construction in Al-Kut City/ Wasit Governorate/Iraq. The researcher used artificial neural network technology to develop the models. The results showed that the coefficient of correlation R between actual and predicted values were 99.4% and 99 %, MAPE was
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