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.
Our study comes up to clarify the role of television in spreading the culture of violence with a child. This study represents one of the important studies that have tried to highlight the impact of these programmes, particularly cartoons, on the child's behaviors, actions and acquired habits.Violence considers a common phenomenon among the people, as the role of the media, particularly TV has a vital role due to its properties, characteristics and its significant impact on different segments and groups in society and in children particularly through exposure to programmes of films.The results of the study have been affected by the rising proportion of females to males, and that the contribution of real life has a big role in the child ac
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Background: The present in-vitro study was undertaken to evaluate and compare fracture resistance of weakened endodontically treated premolars with class II MOD cavities restored with different bulk fill composite restorations (EverX posterior, Alert, Tetric EvoCeram Bulk Fill, and SDR). The type and mode of fracture were also assessed for all the experimental groups. Materials and Method: Forty-eight 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 six groups of eight teeth each (n=8): (Group 1) intact control group, (Group 2) unrestored teeth with
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For over a decade, educational technology has been used sparingly in our schools and universities. Online training courses have been used since 2003 to fill the gaps in our learning system and to add extra program besides classroom learning. This paper aims to investigate the Iraqi EFL instructors’ participating in online training courses and its influence on the process of teaching and learning.
The sample of present study consists of 30 instructors from University of Baghdad. The questionnaire of sixteen items was constructed. After ensuring validity and reliability of questionnaire, it was applied on March 2013 and the result shows that most of instructors improve their teaching methods b
... Show MoreThis research aims to identify how organizational compatibility, which represents the independent variable, affects higher performance, which is considered a dependent variable, given the importance of these variables in industrial organizations and their clear impact on their stability, survival, and growth in the light of changing environmental challenges. Where the practical research problem was represented by the weakness of awareness of the importance toward organizational compatibility and its dimensions (organizational loyalty, organizational similarity, affiliation or membership, compatibility with goals, and compatibility with values), which is meant by the individual's compatibility with the organization in which he/she w
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The current investigation conducted to examine the anatomical aspects of the Arum colocasia L. cultured in Iraq. The study included the anatomical characteristics of the different plant parts, including the root, stem and leaf, the results of the study on the vegetative parts were shown the important anatomical characteristics in terms of the form of the sections reviewed and vertical in them, and the study of their tissues, as well as the stomata complexities and the thickness of the epidermis, vascular bundles, pith, additionally the dimensions of mesophyll and in blade of the leaf. The research was conducted as it is one of the monocotyledon plants and because of the lack of anatomical studies on it, therefore it was studied to know the
... Show MoreThe current investigation conducted to examine the anatomical aspects of the Arum colocasia L. cultured in Iraq. The study included the anatomical characteristics of the different plant parts, including the root, stem and leaf, the results of the study on the vegetative parts were shown the important anatomical characteristics in terms of the form of the sections reviewed and vertical in them, and the study of their tissues, as well as the stomata complexities and the thickness of the epidermis, vascular bundles, pith, additionally the dimensions of mesophyll and in blade of the leaf. The research was conducted as it is one of the monocotyledon plants and because of the lack of anatomical studies on it, therefore it was studied to know the
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Abstract
Robotics manipulators with structural flexibility provide an attractive alternative to rigid robotics manipulators for many of the new and evolving applications in robotics. In certain applications their use is unavoidable. The increased complexity in modeling and control of such manipulators is offset by desirable performance enhancements in some respects. In this paperthe single- link flexible robotics manipulator was designed and implemented from Perspex and designed with 0.5 m length , 0.02 m width and with 0.004 m thickness with mass located at the tip. There are four subsystems; motion, control, accelerometer and gyro and a host computer subsystem. The work principle of single-link robotics manipul
... Show MoreThe sole aim of the tribe of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and his basilica was to revoke the Umayyad heresy and to refute the suspicions through which they climbed to the top of the pyramid of power and legitimized the leadership of Muslims (heresy of hereditary rule) with the sword and blood. Therefore, Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) began his Ashura process with his short divine message in its words and great in its vocabulary and content and even the future of Mohammedan Islam over the times and spaces - what we will see in the folds of research, God willing.