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.
Two Schiff bases, namely, 3-(benzylidene amino) -2-thioxo-6-methyl 2,5-dihydropyrimidine-4(3H)-one (LS])and 3-(benzylidene amino)-6-methyl pyrimidine 4(3H, 5H)-dione(LA)as chelating ligands), were used to prepare some complexes of Cr(III), La(III), and Ce(III)] ions. Standard physico-chemical procedures including metal analysis M%, element microanalysis (C.H.N.S) , magnetic susceptibility, conductometric measurements, FT-IR and UV-visible Spectra were used to identify Metal (III) complexes and Schiff bases (LS) and (LA). According to findings, a [Cr(III) complex] showed six coordinated octahedral geometry, while [La(III), and Ce(III) complexes]were structured with coordination number seven. Schiff's bases a
... Show MoreThis study includes the preparation of the ferrite nanoparticles CuxCe0.3-XNi0.7Fe2O4 (where: x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3) using the sol-gel (auto combustion) method, and citric acid was used as a fuel for combustion. The results of the tests conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD), emitting-field scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer (EDX), and Vibration Sample Magnetic Device (VSM) showed that the compound has a face-centered cubic structure, and the lattice constant is increased with increasing Cu ion. On the other hand, the compound has apparent porosity and spherical particles, and t
... Show MoreThe objective of this research is to analyze the relationship between the Factors of critical success and sustainable competitive advantage, and I have tested Search Company Mu'tasim General Contracting, through applied on a sample of (90) manager, engineer and project manager, spread over sections and the company's projects surveyed. has been selected sector construction industry as one of the sectors vital and important that play a major role in the advancement of Iraq's infrastructure under the current circumstances, which epresent a set of Projects are Mu'tasim General Contracting construction imple
... Show MoreThe research aimed to shed light on the impact of international Accounting Standard No (21) on tax obstacles represented by (tax evasion, double taxation) The financial statements of a group of banks operating in the private sector were relied upon to know the impact of the standard on tax obstacles, as well as knowing the amount of amounts, The researcher relied on the method of financial analysis of that data, which was obtained from the website of the Securities Commission, and conducted personal interviews with a number of university professors, chartered accountants, financial experts, banks, and the General Authority for Taxes to benefit from their
... Show MoreThis study aimed to developing the skills of critical reading for the tenth basic school female students through a training program using the reflective thinking method. The study sample consisted of (64) students. To achieve the objective of the study, the researcher uses the quasi-experiment approach consisting of a control group (32 students) and an experimental group (32 students). The researcher used three research inventories as follows: 1) A list of critical reading skills included (30) skills within three aspects (Recognition – Deduction – Evaluation and Judgment). 2) An executive program using reflective thinking for developing critical reading skills. 3) Achievement test to measure
... Show MoreThe study aims to identify the effectiveness of employing microteaching in acquiring teaching skills of students teaching basic stage in Al-Aqsa University. The two researchers used the experimental method and a quota sample consisted of a group of (80) students who were distributed on the university two branches in Gaza and Khan younis and on males and females equally, and on four teaching courses counted (20) students for each. The study tool represented in an observation card ,and the results showed statistically significant differences between the level of all the skills of teaching and between the standard rate (75%) in favor of teaching skills, also showed statistically significant differences attributed to the variable of the univ
... Show Moreالمواقف افي الدول العربية قراءة تحليلية في مواقف لدولية من التغيير (الولايات المتحدة - الاتحاد الاوروبي - روسيا)
Supernova explosions are described as very violent events which transfer a significant amount of energy to interstellar media and are responsible for a large variety of physical processes. This study does not discuss the actual explosion mechanisms but follows the behavior of the dynamical evolution of some selected type I and type II supernova remnant and particularly after a thousand years from their explosion and shows how the density of the medium affects the evolution and the lifetime of each remnant. By studying such behaviors, a simplified model has been proposed here for the velocity and radius of the remnant after thousand years of explosion that depends only on the density of the medium and age of the remnant. It has been found th
... Show MorePolyaniline membranes of aniline were produced using an electrochemical method in a cell consisting of two poles. The effect of the vaccination was observed on the color of membranes of polyaniline, where analysis as of blue to olive green paints. The sanction of PANI was done by FT-IR and Raman techniques. The crystallinity of the models was studied by X-ray diffraction technique. The different electronic transitions of the PANI were determined by UV-VIS spectroscopy. The electrical conductivity of the manufactured samples was measured by using the four-probe technique at room temperature. Morphological studies have been determined by Atomic force microscopy (AFM). The structural studies have been measured by (SEM).