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
The aim of this research is to identify the general level of teachers’ curriculum expectations in (geography subject as a model), as well as the significance of the difference in the level of teachers’ curriculum expectations in light of the gender variables (male, female), the years of service (10 years or less - more than 10 years), the level of attitudes of fourth-grade literary students towards geography, the level of congruence between teachers’ curriculum expectations and the attitudes of fourth-grade literary students towards geography in light of the variables, the general level of congruence and the level of congruence between teachers’ curriculum expectations and the attitudes of studen
... Show MoreThis study aims to know the relationship between the birth order and lifestyles among a sample of adolescent students. The sample of the study consisted of (200) students selected from the governmental schools in the Directorate of Education of Qabatiya, in the second semester of the academic year 2020/2021. The results of the study have revealed that the most common lifestyles among the sample of the study are represented by: (the belonging) style, (the submissive) style, (the avenger) style, (the pampered) style, respectively. The study has also found that there are statistically significant differences in the lifestyles of: (the victim, the domineering, the avenger, and the harmful) which are ascribed to the gender variable. Mor
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The aim of this research is to solve a real problem in the Department of Economy and Investment in the Martyrs establishment, which is the selection of the optimal project through specific criteria by experts in the same department using a combined mathematical model for the two methods of analytic hierarchy process and goal programming, where a mathematical model for goal programming was built that takes into consideration the priorities of the goal criteria by the decision-maker to reach the best solution that meets all the objectives, whose importance was determined by the hierarchical analysis process. The most important result of this research is the selection of the second pro
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This study aims to recognize the most common thinking styles and level of the need for cognitive university students , the relation between thinking styles and the need for cognitive, and there are differences according to gender .The sample consists of (250) males and females university students for the academic year (2013-2014), and the researcher uses two scales;" thinking styles scale (Harison &Bramson, 1986), and the need for cognitive scale" (Cacioppo, Petty & Kao , 1996).
The results show that there is difference in the range of the prevalence of the thinking styles among university students , the scientific thinking style is the most common , the students have got the arrange level of the need for cognitive , and there
The personality of the hero Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (may God have mercy on him) came from the womb of jihad after difficult travails that the Arab Islamic nation experienced through the jihad of its loyal and honest sons who vowed themselves to God in defense of his religion and law, so between 490 AH - 540 AH outstanding jihadi leaders emerged who took upon themselves the responsibility of jihad and mobilizing the nation's energies To fight its enemies - the Franks, the Crusaders - in the Levant, and those leaders succeeded in achieving impressive victories over the Frankish military effort and regained some cities that were usurped by the Franks. Balak bin Bahram, Suqman, and Jakarmish, but these leaders could not maintain a state of un
... Show MoreThe present study aimed to identify the exact location and its relation to cognitive
method (risk_caution) to university students. The sample consisted of (300) students who
were chosen randomly and equally. The study results indicated that students possess an
internal exact location and they also use risk cognitive method. The study also indicated that
there is a prophesies which is an exact location for others to reach to caution cognitive
method. Depending on these results, the study recommended to benefit from the results of the
study variables and from the measurement of the exact location and method of cognitive
(risk_caution) to identify male and female students and especially by consulting units at
college
(20)
A kindergarten teacher is one of the most important elements in the educational process, since she is totally relied upon in kindergartens. Therefore, she could have basic and healthy characteristics to improve the educational process by directing the child towards a perfect growing upEducating and raising up a child should be an organized process that makes desirable changes in the child’s behavior in order to improve different sides of his personality, such as his appearance side, his mental side, and his social side.
This research aims at:
1- Measuring the scientific brilliance in kindergarten teachers.
2- Investigating the statistical significant differences of the scientific brilliance among kindergarten teachers in accor
Background: A review of articles of method in treating compound phalangeal fractures by using mini-external fixator, elaborating the anatomy, mechanics, modalities of treatment, and complications of these types of fractures. Also, it compares between different studies regarding the functional results and final outcome. External fixation of phalangeal fractures is a good method for osteo synthesis in certain situations. The simplicity of the surgical procedure and the minimal disruption of the normal bone architecture also make it appealing. Objectives: Evaluating the functional results of the use of mini-external fixator for the treatment of compound fractures of phalangeal bones of the hand. Method: Our study consists of 15 patients, 12 we
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