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 Old World Screwworm Fly Chrysomya bezziana is a new insect pest on cattles and other domestic recor¬ded for the first from Iraq. It was first observed in cow's vagina in September of 1996 in Shaikh Hammed (Tarmiya), near Baghdad city. Chrysomya bezziana Villeneuve is well known as one of the most important insect pests of livestock. Its larvae infest living tissues by causing myiasis. In a wide range of worm-blooded host species (Spradbery and Vanningham, 1980; Spradbery and Kirk. 1992). It is widely dist¬ributed species over an extensive area of tropical and subtropical Africa, the Arabian Gulf countries, Iran. Indian subcontinent. South-East Asia. Indonesia, and as far east as Papua New Guinea (Zurapt, 1965; Djalayer et al. 1978;
... Show MoreIn any natural area or water body, evapotranspiration is one of the main outcomes in the water balance equation. It is also a crucial component of the hydrologic cycle and considers as the main requirement in the planning and designing of any irrigation project. The climatic parameters for the Ishaqi area are calculated from the available date of Samarra and Al-Khlais meteorological stations according to a method for the period (1982–2017) according to Fetter method. The results of the mean of rainfall, relative humidity temperature, evaporation, sunshine, and wind speed of the Ishaqi area are 171.96 mm, 49.67%, 24.86 C°, 1733.61 mm, 8.34 h/day, and 2.3 m/sec, respectively. Values of Potential Evapotranspiration are determined by
... Show MoreThe present study reports Morchella conica Pers.1818, which belongs to the family, Morchellaceae as a new record of Iraqi macromycota based on the morphological and molecular methods. During their short and often sporadic fruiting season, this fungal species was found in mixed forest unburned areas in Branan ranges (Suliamaniya Province, Northeast Iraq). Currently, M. conica is the second Morchella species reported from Iraq. The current study aimed to introduce this new record, which is poorly studied in the Middle East. M. conica is morphologically described and phylogenetically confirmed. The relationship between this species and other species within the genus was studied using the nrDNA ITS sequences from different species and divers
... Show MoreAbstract
The aim of the current research is to identify the effect of the effective reading strategy on the achievement of second-middle students in biology, as well as the imaginative thinking skills of students. The researcher adopted the experimental design with partial control to achieve the goal of the research. The current research community identified the second-middle students in the government schools of the Baghdad Education Directorate / Rusafa I for the academic year (2021-2022 AD). The Safina Intermediate School for Girls was chosen to be the research sample in the form of intentionally, two classes were randomly selected from a total of four classes, one of them is experimental and the other is con
... Show MoreSustainable development is launched through the interaction between the economy and natural resources and preserving them from exhaustion as well as the efficient management of natural and social resources and includes a diversified economic condition and thus is the focus of attention to the development of economic structures, which is intended to improve the level of human well-being by increasing its share in the necessary goods and services and their relationship With economic growth, which is the most important driver of economic transformation, because it reflects the ability of society and increasing its productive capabilities and investing in the optimal way Although the Iraqi economy is considered one of the diversified
... Show MoreThe energy density state are the powerful factor for evaluate the validity of a material in any application. This research focused on examining the electrical properties of the Se6Te4- xSbx glass semiconductor with x=1, 2 and 3, using the thermal evaporation technique. D.C electrical conductivity was used by determine the current, voltage and temperatures, where the electrical conductivity was studied as a function of temperature and the mechanical electrical conduction were determined in the different conduction regions (the extended and localized area and at the Fermi level). In addition, the density of the energy states in these regions is calculated using the mathematical equations. The constants of energy density states are det
... Show MoreThis research aims to introduce the importance of electronic marketing and the extent of its impact on the quality of the insurance service in general, and the national insurance company in particular, and the advantages it can achieve, an increase in its competitiveness, as well as contributing to increasing the efficiency of the performance of the insurance company.
The research relied on the questionnaire form as a main tool for obtaining data and information by the 70 questionnaire questionnaires required for the field side of the research, as they were distributed and retrieved in full, and all of them are suitable for analysis. The sample .The questionnaire was designed with three axes, the first wa
... Show MoreThe researches discusses the style of acting used by (Sami Abdul-Hameed) in one of the play director (Salah AL-Kassab) production whine he called; Picturesque.
The problem of this research is to discover the differences between the performance of (Sami Abdul-Hameed) in the Picturesque Theatre and the other theatre.
The goal of the research is to get to know the style of acting used in (king Lear) directed by (Salah AL-Kassab).
After defining the term (picturesque theatre), the researcher discusses the elements of the Visual theatre and the components of the stage picture according to (Alexander Dean) and he refers to those well-known director who had emphasized the Visual elements. Such as (Gordon Grieg) and (Franco Zeferrel