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 research aims at identifying the level of quality of University environment according to the viewpoint of female students taking the College of Sciences for Woman an example, as represented in the college units as registration unit and the unit of students' affairs, the curricula, instructors, study halls, the college library, scientific labs, computer access, stationary and photocopying services, health care center, the unit of artistic, cultural and sportive activity, the canteen, the college gardens, college buildings and equipment and bathrooms. To achieve the objectives of the research, the researcher prepared a questionnaire to identify the viewpoints of female students concerning the extent of the availability of the standards o
... Show MoreThe research aims to define the main and subsidiary criteria for evaluating the industrial market sectors and proposing a model for arranging these criteria according to priority and knowing the highest criteria in terms of relative importance in the General Company for Automobile Trade and Machinery, and for the purpose of establishing this model, experiences in the concerned company were approved, and this study proposes a multi-criteria decision model According to the FEAHP, the expanded fuzzy hierarchical analysis method enables the commercial company to develop clear strategic policies on which the company’s management system depends on determining criteria for evaluating and selecting market sectors and making appropriate
... Show MoreThe aim of this research to show the role of some enzymes in pathological mechanism of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease. Sixty patients with RA and matched number of apparently healthy volunteers were included in the study. Spectrophotometric methods were used to determine Peroxy nitrite (ONOO), Nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide synthase activity (NOS) cycloxygenase-2 activity (COX-2), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in serum of both groups. Colorimetric assay kits were used to determine Iron. Rheumatoid factor (RF) was determined using Imuno-Latex kit. ONOO, NO levels, and NOS activity were significantly higher in the patients compared to the control group. Conversely, Iron level, SOD
... Show MoreThis research investigates the impact of varying concentrations of silver oxide on the structure and morphology of phosphate bioactive glass (PBG). PBGs are gaining popularity as a potential replacement for traditional silicate glasses in biomedical applications due to their adjustable chemical resistance and exceptional bioactivity. Upon examination of the scanning electron microscope of the composites without Ag2O, it was observed that the grains tended to merge together, and the surface particles appeared to be larger than those in composites with Ag2O at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 wt%. The study found that the diffraction pattern of phosphate bioactive glass composites sintered without Ag2O showed the presence of Stro
... Show MoreDue to the continuous development in society and the multiplicity of customers' desires and their keeping pace with this development and their search for the quality and durability of the commodity that provides them with the best performance and that meets their needs and desires, all this has led to the consideration of quality as one of the competitive advantages that many industrial companies compete for and which are of interest to customers and are looking for. The research problem showed that the Diyala State Company for Electrical Industries relies on some simple methods and personal experience to monitor the quality of products and does not adopt scientific methods and modern programs. The aim of this research is to desi
... Show MoreThis study aimed at identity baying the difficulties which face public basic school
principals in jar ash governorate in editing formal letters and correspondence and means of
debating with these problems to collect data the researchers developed a question air were
established the population of the study which represents its sample consisted of 129 principals
65 males and 64 females
The results of the study revealed that the principals face difficulties in office and file
management in preparing plans and reports and writing formal letters and answering them
saved recommendations were presented among which were organizing training sessions and
workshops to train the principals on how to dead with there problems.<
The personality characteristics of the Leader are considered one of the main elements to reach into business organizations entrepreneurship; and because of the development of the organizations of the continuous transformations as result of huge Competition in private High Education sector, there is a great need for Leaders characterized of certain personality capable of managing their organizations and can positively effect on them. Also these organizations' success to reach into entrepreneurship requires a main significant element that is (strategic flexibility) which is considered one of the important elements for success.
Accordingly, this research is trying to fin
... Show Moreعانت الغابات في العراق قصوراً واضحاً في مجال إشباع حاجة السكان لمنتجاتها الرئيسية المتمثلة بالأخشاب ومنتجاتها الثانوية المتمثلة بالأغصان والأوراق والنباتات الطبيعية والحيوانات البرية ونواتجها الأخرى، مما يتطلب التفكير بمحاولة إيجاد سبل جديدة لحل هذه المشكلة الاقتصادية المرتبطة بعنصريها الحاجة للأخشاب والأموال المخصصة لتطويرها عموماً.
لقد دمرت مساحات كبيرة من الغابات وحرقت وقطعت من
... Show MoreIn this research, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process technique is applied (Fuzzy AHP) which is one of multi-criteria decision making techniques to evaluate the criteria for urban planning projects, the project of developing master plan of Al-Muqdadiyah city to 2035 has been chosen as a case study. The researcher prepared a list of criteria in addition to the authorized departments criteria and previous researches in order to choose optimized master plan according to these criteria. This research aims at employing the foundations of (Fuzzy AHP) technique in evaluating urban planning criteria precisely and flexible. The results of the data analysis to the individuals of the sample who are specialists, in this aspect. The la
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