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.
This study aims to identify the level of students’ awareness at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University of the requirements of married life in the light of social changes and suggested methods to deepen this awareness (according to the Islamic educational vision) from their own perspective. In this study, the researcher used the descriptive approach with a survey research method, depending on questionnaires to collect data, which he applied to students of College of Sharia in Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University, as well as, students in the fields of Sociology, Social Work, and Psychology in the College of Social Sciences. The findings of the study revealed that students are aware of the requirements of married life concerning mutual ri
... Show MoreThere are many techniques that can be used to estimate the spray quality traits such as the spray coverage, droplet density, droplet count, and droplet diameter. One of the most common techniques is to use water sensitive papers (WSP) as a spray collector on field conditions and analyzing them using several software. However, possible merger of some droplets could occur after they deposit on WSP, and this could affect the accuracy of the results. In this research, image processing technique was used for better estimation of the spray traits, and to overcome the problem of droplet merger. The droplets were classified as non-merged and merged droplets based on their roundness, then the merged droplets were separated based on the average non-m
... Show More
(3)
(2)
The current research aims to analyze the mathematics book for the first intermediate grade according to the dimensions of mathematical power by answering the following question: What is the percentage of the availability of the dimensions of mathematical power included in the content of the mathematics textbook for first-grade students, average, in its first, and second parts for the academic year 2020-2021, approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Education / General Directorate of Curricula? The research community was determined by middle school mathematics books, and middle school students for middle ,and high school day schools affiliated to the Directorate of Education in Dhi Qar, and by the intentional test, the research sample was s
... Show More
(24)
(17)
The reconciliation of tax reconciliation is one of the legal methods used by the financial authority in Iraq, which is done with the taxpayer
The research dealt with the weakness of tax revenues for many reasons, including tax evasion, which led to the search for ways to reduce evasion to increase the tax revenue, and settlement reconciliation one of these means .
The research proceeded from the premise that the use of a more broadly settled settlement would govern the tax evasion of taxpayers.
The researchers used a series of studies and previous research, books and other sources related to the subject of research, and this was done through the theoretical framework, and the practical aspect that included the fin
... Show MoreThis paper presents an analytical study for the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of a generalized Burgers’ fluid in an annular pipe. Closed from solutions for velocity is obtained by using finite Hankel transform and discrete Laplace transform of the sequential fractional derivatives. Finally, the figures are plotted to show the effects of different parameters on the velocity profile.
(24)
(17)
(5)
(3)
This work reports the study of heat treatment effect on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of poly [3-hexylthiophene] and its blend with [6,6]-phenyl C61 butyric acid methyl ester ( P3HT:PC61BM). X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements show that the crystallinity of the films increased with annealing. The evaluation of surface roughness and morphology was investigated using atomic force microscope (AFM), and field emission scanning microscope(FESEM). The optical properties were emphasized a strong optical absorption of P3HT compared with the blend. Hall effect measurement was used to study the electrical properties which revealed there is an increase in the electrical conductivity and Hall mobility of th
... Show More
(2)
The aerodynamic characteristics of the forward swept wing aircraft have been studied theoretically and experimentally. Low order panel method with the Dirichlet boundary condition have been used to solve the case of the steady, inviscid and compressible flow. Experimentally, a model was manufactured from wood to carry out the tests. The primary objective of the experimental work was the measurements of the wake dimensions and orientation, velocity defect along the wake and the wake thickness. A blower type low speed (open jet) wind tunnel was used in the experimental work. The mean velocity at the test section was (9.3 m/s) and the Reynolds number based on the mean aerodynamic chord and the mean velocity was (0.46x105). The measurements sho
... Show More