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 aim of this study is modeling the transport of industrial wastewater in sandy soil by using finite element method. A washing technique was used to remove the industrial wastewater from the soil. The washing technique applied with an efficient hydraulic gradient to help in transport of contaminant mass by advection. Also, the mass transport equation used in modeling the transport of industrial wastewater from soil includes the sorption and chemical reactions. The sandy soil samples obtained from Al-Najaf Governorate/Iraq. The wastewater contaminant was obtained from Al- Musyiebelectricity power plant. The soil samples were synthetically contaminated with four percentages of 10, 20, 30 and 40% of the contaminant and these percentages calc
... Show MoreThe objective of this study is to enable the role of modern and advanced computerized information systems. The model or mechanism should be developed by collecting the necessary information about the taxpayers and the sources of the taxpayers' income, on the basis of which the accuracy of the inventory process will be adopted. In addition to studies related to computerized information systems and showing their importance to the tax institution. To achieve the objectives of the study and to answer its questions, the researcher relied on collecting data and information on the subject on the literature and previous studies The secondary sources, which also formed the theoretical framework of the study, were obtained either as a practical fr
... Show MoreRecently, environmental noise has arisen from various sources, such as those from exhaust mufflers of combustion engines found in cars, trucks, or power generators, which produce significant noise during their operation. Controlling the radiated noise from these mufflers is a major factor in improving acoustic comfort and minimizing the impact on the surrounding communities. Numerous research has been presented for this reason by modification of the internal structure of the exhaust muffler. The main objective of this work is to reduce the noise level emitted from exhaust mufflers. This can be achieved by adjusting structure parameters to attenuate the surrounding environment's radiated noise. Analysis of pressure-wave propagation h
... Show MoreRequire senior management of the state when developing the strategy the general budget to the clarity of the reasons that are based upon the ministries in the preparation of estimates of expenditure for the next year to justify the spending, and in the absence of targets, the ministry or government unit would not be in front, but be guided by the size of expenditure for the last year in addition to the percentage of represented an increase of appropriations required for the next year in light of the fiscal policy of the state, so the requested increase in appropriations to meet the desired increase in some of its activities and to meet the increase in salaries and prices. So must be available to the Ministry of criteria that coul
... Show MoreBackground: Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) has been used as a traditional medicine for many years to cure different kinds of diseases. Studies have been reported that Gotu Kola extracts might be used as a cure for oral diseases such as periodontal disease. In the present study, Gotu Kola leaves extracted with water will be used to evaluate its effect on some microorganisms living in the human saliva using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method. Material and Method:Gotu Kola fresh leaves extract have been used with water as a solvent, a rotary evaporator was used to separate the solvent from the extract. The following microorganisms: Streptococci, Lactobacilli, and Staphylococcus aureus have been isolated fromthe Saliva of ten voluntee
... Show MoreThe objective Effect of Internal and External Environment and its Psychological & Practical Reflection on the Political Decision-Making Process
House 21 fungal isolates fungus to the analyst Albroca output of manufactured blood clot from the Blama human blood showed positive fungi to test analyzes blood clot variation in times where decomposition recorded fungi
The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status for samples at the age of 17-15 years. These samples were taken from secondary schools and universities in Baghdad area, 123 of them were male and 261 were female. Data on weight, height and body mass index (BMI) were determined in each individual. Smaller sample of 215 individuals (male and female) from the original sample was taken in order to record their nutritional behavior and daily food intake during the 24 hours prior to the visit through personal meeting using special questionnaire. The results showed that the weight and the height were within the range of the people of neighboring Arab countries, who are in the same age. Beside 44.4- 55.95% of these samples were within t
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