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 rise of online platforms has transformed the discourse landscape, enabling users to create and share content actively, thereby shaping public perceptions and societal narratives. Understanding the dynamics of this discourse is essential for comprehending its socio-political implications. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) concerning online platforms, exploring how language is utilized across various digital contexts to influence identity formation and social inequalities. Methodologically, the review systematically searches electronic databases, including Google Scholar and ProQuest, using keywords related to CDA and online platforms. A total of 30 relevant studies are purpo
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Electrocardiogram (ECG) is an important physiological signal for cardiac disease diagnosis. With the increasing use of modern electrocardiogram monitoring devices that generate vast amount of data requiring huge storage capacity. In order to decrease storage costs or make ECG signals suitable and ready for transmission through common communication channels, the ECG data
volume must be reduced. So an effective data compression method is required. This paper presents an efficient technique for the compression of ECG signals. In this technique, different transforms have been used to compress the ECG signals. At first, a 1-D ECG data was segmented and aligned to a 2-D data array, then 2-D mixed transform was implemented to compress the
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When embankment is constructed on very soft soil, special construction methods are adopted. One of the techniques is a piled embankment. Piled (stone columns) embankments provide an economic and effective solution to the problem of constructing embankments over soft soils. This method can reduce settlements, construction time and cost. Stone columns provide an effective improvement method for soft soils under light structures such as rail or road embankments. The present work investigates the behavior of the embankment models resting on soft soil reinforced with stone columns. Model tests were performed with different spacing distances between stone columns and two lengths to diameter ratios of the stone columns, in addition to different
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Analysis system of sports players is very important for individuals in weightlifting. Assessment of player and strength is important for the performance of weightlifting. This paper proposes an analytical method for weightlifters with check-by-frame video. This analysis system can compute the major steps of seven positions in both snatch and clean and jerk methods in frame-video weightlifting monitoring of movements. Each user can compute the major steps of the seven positions of Hu moments among two frames in the video during training, and the Euclidian distance can be computed for the Hu moment values and lifting moment values in the snatch and clean and jerk methods during training. The outcome of the proposed system shows on efficien
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The Financial systems can be classified into two types. The first is the market–oriented, which is applied in United States and United Kingdom. While the second is bank-oriented as in Japan and Germany.
This study tries to explain the reasons which make some countries adopt the first one instead of the second, and the contrary. So the study consists of three sections. The first deals with the concept of financial system and it are functions. The second displays the indicators which are used to classify the financial systems, while the third one is devoted to the factors that determine the type of financial system .These sections followed by some conclusions.
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A method is developed for the determination of iron (III) in pharmaceutical preparations by coupling cloud point extraction (CPE) and UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The method is based on the reaction of Fe(III) with excess drug ciprofloxacin (CIPRO) in dilute H2SO4, forming a hydrophobic Fe(III)- CIPRO complex which can be extracted into a non-ionic surfactant Triton X-114, and iron ions are determined spectrophotometrically at absorption maximum of 437 nm. Several variables which impact on the extraction and determination of Fe (III) are optimized in order to maximize the extraction efficiency and improve the sensitivity of the method. The interferences study is also considered to check the accuracy of the procedure. The results hav
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A numerical simulation is made on the thermal lensing effect in an laser diode end-pumped Nd:YAG laser rod. Based on finite element method (FEM), the laser rod temperature distribution is calculated and the focal length is deduced for a Gaussian and super-Gaussian pump beam profiles.
At the pump power of 20W, the highest temperature located at the center of end-pumped face was 345K, and the thermal lens focal length was 81.4mm along the x-z axis.
The results indicate that the thermal lensing effect sensitively depend on the pump power, waist radius of the pump beam and the pump distribution in a laser rod geometry.
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The research (Relationship of Communities of practice in adoption of, Strategic Change choices) aims to diagnose and interpretation of correlation nature between Communities of practice deportation (participation and spreading knowledge, confidence, social capital build) deportation strategic change choices (reengineering business process, business re-structuring, business innovation) in construction companies in the Iraqi Ministry of Construction and Housing, the research tested 4 construction companies working in investing sector in Iraq, the research applied on a sample of 102 persons who participated in Communities of practice distributed in several administrative levels (directors, division directors, projec
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