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 focuses on the biodegradation of oxymatrine insecticide by some soil fungi isolated from four agriculture stations. The results showed that the highest degradation rate 94.66% was recorded by Ulocladium sp. at 10 days and A. niger recorded the lowest degradation rate 45.86%, while at 20 days Ulocladium sp. also showed the highest degradation rate 94.98% and the lowest degradation rate reached to 82.49% with A.niger. The mix (Exerohilum sp.+Ulocladium sp.) recorded the highest degradation rate of oxymatrine insecticide 90.22%, 88.51%, 85.34% at 4, 8 and 12 ppm.The use of mixed isolates enhanced the biodegradation process. There is no study of oxymatrine biodegradation
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This work investigates the effect of the gas nitriding process on the surface layer microstructure and mechanical properties for steel 37, tool steel X155CrVMo12-1 and stainless steel 316L. Nitriding was conducted at a temperature of 550 °C for 2 hours during the first stage and at 750 °C for 4 hours during the second stage. SEM and X-ray diffraction tests were performed to evaluate the microstructural features and the major phases formed after surface treatment. SEM and X-ray diffraction tests were performed to assess the microstructural features and the primary phases formed after surface treatment. The new secondary precipitates were identified as γ′-Fe4N, ε (Fe2–3N), and α-Fe, exhibiting an uneven chain-like pattern wit
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Mishrif Formation is the main reservoir in oil-fields (North Rumaila, South Rumaila, Majnoon, Zubair and West Qurna) which located at Basrah southern Iraq. The Inductively coupled plasma-Mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was used for the water chemistry analysis and Scanning Electron Microprobe (SEM) for the purpose of mineralogy diagnosis. A weak acidic water of salinity six-time greater than seawater plays a role in generating the formation pressure and controlling the fluid flow. The potentiometric subsurface maps were modeled and the direction of super-pressure sites that are of a great importance in the oil exploration were marked to pay attention during future drilling.
The use of the entrance diffraction hexagon continuous improvement of operations in order to achieve the rationalization of activities, costs and efficiency in the use of available resources and reduce the incidence of damage and waste and recycling, as the accounting information system does not meet the surface production processes oil fields cost management requirements in the measurement and evaluation of the costs of each activity and development of indicators to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of production processes and to cover the shortcomings of currently approved by the company so cost accounting system has Find addressed the use of strategic cost management techniques, including the entrance diffraction hexagon for c
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Yersinia enterocolitica has ranked a third among the pathogens that most frequently cause gastrointestinal disorders transmitted to humans through food materials, especially contaminated meats. The meat infected with Yersinia enterocolitica had no change in apparent texture or smell. The aim of this research is to survey the frequency of Y. enterocolitica in ovine meat, compare their ratio of infection between the season, To carry out this study (125) samples of local ovine meat were collected by random sampling from the middle region of Iraq. The samples were divided into two groups steak and mince, then many microbiological tests (culture, & staining, biochemical Tests Api 20E, Vitik 2 and species-specific PCR amplicon for 16S RNA gene) w
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The research dealt with a study of economic diversification indicators in Iraq and an indication of the extent to which economic diversification events are desirable in its sectors because desirable diversification events are truly the best means of targeting a fair distribution of income. The research included studying the experiences of selected countries for Norway and Chile, and studying economic indicators and policies for each of them in order to benefit From these two experiences, the research has concluded that the Iraqi economy suffers from a large concentration of the oil sector, which made the Iraqi economy unilateral in which oil represents 90% according to the Herfindel-Hirschman Index, either for Norway and Chile, i
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Background Parkinson’s disease (PD) is currently the fastest-growing neurological disorder in the world. Patients with PD face numerous challenges in managing their chronic condition, particularly in countries with scarce healthcare infrastructure. Objective This qualitative study aimed to delve into neurologists’ perspectives on challenges and gaps in the Iraqi healthcare system that influence the management of PD, as well as strategies to mitigate these obstacles. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with neurologists from five different Iraqi provinces, working in both hospitals and private neurology clinics, between November 2024 and January 2025. A thematic analysis approach was employed to identify the main challenge
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