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.
There have been many negative phenomena in Iraqi society, especially after the political crises over the last years, such as the spread of violence, the deterioration of the economic situation, the spread of unemployment and poverty, and the disintegration of social ties, divorce, and the entry of the scourge of drugs. Among the most dangerous of these emergent phenomena, the phenomenon of suicide among young people of both sex, which has grown and increased in an unprecedented manner, surpassing all known social norms in Iraqi society and the prevailing religious values. Suicide in Iraqi society has transformed from a simple case to a visible presence in all Iraqi provinces. Suicides cases have registered in all cities of Iraq and of bo
... Show MoreThe purpose of this research is to highlight the nature of the relationship between the mental abilities of decision makers and strategic orientation . The intellectual capacity of decision-makers is the cornerstone for the implementation of all the tasks and duties of the Organization and constitutes the most important of its capabilities. As a result of the sharp changes in the environment in which it operates, this organization must accurately define its strategic directions to ensure its
survival and continuity. The problem of field research was to answer a fundamental question: Is the Iraqi director aware of how to employ mental abilities in strategic direc
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A solar cell was manufactured from local materials and was dyed using dyes extracted from different organic plants. The solar cell glass slides were coated with a nano-porous layer of Titanium Oxide and infused with two types of acids, Nitric acid and Acetic acid. The organic dyes were extracted from Pomegranate, Hibiscus, Blackberry and Blue Flowers. They were then tested and a comparison was made for the amount of voltage they generate when exposed to sunlight. Hibiscus sabdariffa extract had the best performance parameters; also Different plants give different levels of voltage.
The study scrutinises intermingled relations between children literature and some ecological issues. Such interwoven relationships would be highly recommended to encourage children to explore and identify themselves with nature from early ages to avoid facing an extreme experience later on. The research limits its scope to two novels Suzanne Collins’ (1962) The Hunger Games trilogy (2003-2007) and William Golding’s (1911-1993) Lord of the Flies (1954), and both novels have no direct connections with Ecology and the Eco-consciousness, yet it offers an insightful description about Man’s experience with Nature. Moreover, it raises serious moral questions, raises awareness, heals wounds and suggests solutions for the problems th
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The aim of the research is to demonstrate the importance of leadership empowerment in its dimensions (knowledge, participation in decision-making, incentives, trust between the leader and subordinate, delegation of authority and communication) and its impact on enhancing the effectiveness of the company in its dimensions Represented by (achievement of objectives, quality of insurance service, adaptation to work environment and job satisfaction), by adopting the questionnaire as a main tool in collecting data from officials in the National Insurance Company, numbering (56) surveyed in job sites (section manager, division official and unit official) Their answers were analyzed using the SPSS statistical program in calculating the a
... Show MoreSteel-concrete-steel (SCS) structural element solutions are rising due to their advantages over conventional reinforced concrete in terms of cost and strength. The impact of SCS sections with various core materials on the structural performance of composites has not yet been fully explored experimentally, and in this work, both slag and polypropylene fibers were incorporated in producing eco-friendly steel-concrete-steel composite sections. This study examined the ductility, ultimate strength, failure modes, and energy absorption capacities of steel-concrete-steel filled with eco-friendly concrete, enhanced by polypropylene fiber (PPF) to understand its impact on modern structural projects. Eco-friendly concrete was produced by the partial
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