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.
It is well known that petroleum refineries are considered the largest generator of oily sludge which may cause serious threats to the environment if disposed of without treatment. Throughout the present research, it can be said that a hybrid process including ultrasonic treatment coupled with froth floatation has been shown as a green efficient treatment of oily sludge waste from the bottom of crude oil tanks in Al-Daura refinery and able to get high yield of base oil recovery which is 65% at the optimum operating conditions (treatment time = 30 min, ultrasonic wave amplitude = 60 micron, and (solvent: oily sludge) ratio = 4). Experimental results showed that 83% of the solvent used was recovered meanwhile the main water
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Motives: This study examines the integration of Feng Shui principles into urban public spaces to enhance social interaction, livability, and environmental harmony. The case study focuses on the Al-Arabi and Al-Washash neighbourhoods in Baghdad, exploring how spatial characteristics influence engagement and energy circulation (Qi) within the urban network. The motivation arises from deficiencies in connectivity, shading, greenery, and water features, which limit social and aesthetic vibrancy. Aim: The objectives are to evaluate spatial and social dynamics through the Feng Shui Public-Space Index (FS-PSI), Space Syntax analysis, and resident surveys, and to propose strategies using Feng Shui design proxies to improve energy flow, acce
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Abstract: Plastic pollution is a major issue of the current century. This waste is found in seas, freshwater, lakes, rivers, coastal areas, and soil. In this article, this article discusses the various sources of plastic pollution, including the manufacturing process of plastics and the addition of materials to improve their properties, as well as the use of single-use plastics that are not recyclable, in addition to burning and illegal waste disposal in the open. The impact on public health is through human exposure to toxins from plastics in the environment directly through inhaling dust and fumes, consuming contaminated food and drink, and skin contact. Indirectly, when marine creatures consume microplastics, they will find their way
... Show MoreThe aim of this study is to identify the effect of enabling the effectiveness of the work of the audit committees in private commercial banks and to identify the extent of awareness of the importance of empowerment in the work of these committees, especially as it is known that these committees, especially the inspection committees that go to private banks and from various sources including committees of the Central Bank of Iraq Committees of the Securities Commission and finally committees of the external audit offices, through an analysis of the determinants of empowerment in the performance of the most important work of the audit committees, namely: supervising the process of preparing reports, supervising the system of intern
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Organizations must interact with the environment around them, so the environment must be suitable for that interaction. These companies are now trying to become Learning Organizations because it try to face that challenges may rise from its environments. The Learning Organization is a concept that is becoming an increasingly widespread philosophy in modern companies, from the largest multinationals to the smallest ventures. What is achieved by this philosophy depends considerably on one's interpretation of it and commitment to it. This study gives a definition that we felt was the true ideology behind the Learning Organization and Group Working. A Learning Organization is one in which people at all levels
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Hepatitis is one of the diseases that has become more developed in recent years in terms of the high number of infections. Hepatitis causes inflammation that destroys liver cells, and it occurs as a result of viruses, bacteria, blood transfusions, and others. There are five types of hepatitis viruses, which are (A, B, C, D, E) according to their severity. The disease varies by type. Accurate and early diagnosis is the best way to prevent disease, as it allows infected people to take preventive steps so that they do not transmit the difference to other people, and diagnosis using artificial intelligence gives an accurate and rapid diagnostic result. Where the analytical method of the data relied on the radial basis network to diagnose the
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Background: The isthmus is a difficult area in the root canal complex to manage. The research aimed to evaluate the efficiency of three different obturation techniques (lateral condensation, EandQ (thermoplasticized gutta percha system) and Soft Core (thermoplasticized core carrier gutta percha system)) to obturate the isthmus area of roots prepared by two different instrumentation techniques (rotary ProTaper universal and ProTaper Next systems). Material and method: Sixty freshly extracted teeth were randomly divided into two main groups (A and B) of 30 teeth each. Group A was prepared by rotary ProTaper Universal whereas group B was prepared by ProTaper Next system. Each main group was then randomly subdivided into three subgroups of 10 t
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Background: This in vitro study evaluated the fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different composite restorations (Low-shrinkage Filtek P90, nanohybrid Filtek Z250 XT and SDR bulk fill). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Fifty human adult maxillary premolar teeth were selected for this study. Standardized extensive class II MOD cavities with endodontic treatment were prepared for all teeth, except those that were saved as intact control. The teeth were divided into five groups of ten teeth each (n=10): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with endodontic treatment, (Group 3) resto
... Show MoreBackground: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov2) which utilizes angiotensin converting enzyme2 (ACE2) to invade the host cells. This membrane-bound peptidase is widely distributed in the body; its activity antagonizes the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Once SARS-Cov2 enters the cell, it causes downregulation of ACE2, resulting in the unopposed activation of RAAS. The unregulated activity of the RAAS system can deteriorate the prognosis in COVID-19 patients. A soluble form of ACE2 (sACE2) was reported to have a role in the SARS-Cov2 invasion of the susceptible cells.
Aim of the study: This study aims to inve
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