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.
The mean age of AS patients was (35.0 ± 9.8) years.When the patients and control subjects were divided into different age groups (>40, 30-40, <30 years), the differences were not significantin terms of disease prevalence. The results also showed that the percentage of male patients is higher than that of females. There was no significant difference (P?0.05) between patients and controls in the distribution of males and females.Most of the patients had the disease for a period of 5 years or higher, with a disease severity of ? 2.1 and functional disability degree of I, II. The resultsshoweddifferent patterns of distribution for the three tested cytokines. A significant increase in the level of TNF-?, anon-significantincrease i
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Pseudomonas aeruginosa has variety of virulence factors that contribute to its pathogenicity. Therefore, rapid detection with high accuracy and specificity is very important in the control of this pathogenic bacterium. To evaluate the accuracy and specificity of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, ETA and gyrB genes were targeted to detect pathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa. Seventy swab samples were taken from patients with infected wounds and burns in two hospitals in Erbil and Koya cities in Iraq. The isolates were traditionally identified using phenotypic methods, and DNA was extracted from the positive samples, to apply PCR using the species specific primers targeting ETA, the gene encoding for exotoxin A, and gyrB gene. The res
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A new method for determination of allopurinol in microgram level depending on its ability to reduce the yellow absorption spectrum of (I-3) at maximum wavelength ( ?max 350nm) . The optimum conditions such as "concentration of reactant materials , time of sitting and order of addition were studied to get a high sensitivity ( ? = 27229 l.mole-1.cm-1) sandal sensitivity : 0.0053 µg cm-2 ,with wide range of calibration curve ( 1 – 9 µg.ml-1 ) good stability (more then24 hr.) and repeatability ( RSD % : 2.1 -2.6 % ) , the Recovery % : ( 98.17 – 100.5 % ) , the Erel % ( 0.50 -1.83 % ) and the interference's of Xanthine , Cystein , Creatinine , Urea and the Glucose in 20 , 40 , 60 fold of analyate were also studied .
The current study was conducted on 504(Ros-308) broiler chicks reared in Animal farms belong to College of Agriculture, University of Baghdad during the period 28/9/2017- 9/11/2018 to determine the effect of ginseng additive on the performance of chicks. Results of study showed a significant effect (p≤0.05) of exposure period an Red blood cells, 3.56×106ml3 of blood was in bird, which exposure to 2hr at heat shock. In 42 day at age 106 ×38 ml3 of blood can noticed in the blood at birds, which exposure to 2hr in 21-42 days at 3 days of age. No significant effect at ginseng on blood cells. The results showed a significant effect (p≤0.05) of interaction on red blood cells at 21 and 42 days of age and the average cells between these ages
... Show MoreThis study aimed to identify the histological changes of mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) exposed to vydate pesticide. (48) female fishes were collected from local markets and also from the stream that surround Baghdad university campus at Al-jadyria, fishes divided into (4) groups and each group consist of 12 fish: T1(exposed to 0.0000001 mg/L),T2 (exposed to 0.0000002 mg/L ) and T3 (exposed to 0.000001 mg /L) of vydate pesticide for (8) weeks. As well as a control group. Fishes were dissected for histological preparations after each (2,4,6,8) weeks of exposure time. Gills were fixed by Bouin’s fluid and stained with Hematoxylin and eosin. Histological study showed that the structure of gill in a control group consists of primary and se
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Due to its association with hepatocellular carcinoma and being one of the ten most common malignancies worldwide, hepatitis C viral infection has become a severe public health concern. Therefore, establishing an accurate, reliable and sensitive diagnostic test for this infection is strongly advised. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been created to achieve this purpose. The current study was established to investigate the hepatitis C virus among Iraqi patients with chronic renal failure and to detect the virus immunologically by the fourth generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique and molecularly by real-time PCR. As a result, out of 50 patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis, 39 patients tes
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