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.
In this work, we calculate and analyze the photon emission from quark and anti-quark interaction during annihilation process using simple model depending on phenomenology of quantum chromodynamic theory (QCD). The parameters, which include the running strength coupling, temperature of the system and the critical temperature, carry information regarding photon emission and have a significant impact on the photons yield. The emission of photon from strange interaction with anti-strange is large sensitive to decreases or increases there running strength coupling. The photons emission increases with decreases running strength coupling and vice versa. We introduce the influence of critical temperature on the photon emission rate in o
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A Pap test can identify the pre-cancerous and cancerous problem in the vagina and uterine cervix. Cervical tumour is the easiest gynecologic disease to be diagnosed, treated and prevented using regular screening tests and follow-up. This review aimed to explore the opinion of specialists about cytological changes and the precancerous lesions with Pap smear test and visual inspection of the cervices, also to determine the relationship of this malignancy with demographic characteristics of patients. Results showed that few cervical cancer and pre-cancer were with women in postmenopausal period, but more were with women in the premenopausal period. Visual inspection of the cervix can show erosion lesions by gross inspection. Upon cytology exam
... Show MoreObjective: To evaluate the clinical significance of open diagnostic testicular biopsy as prognostic predictor of
successful sperm retrieval among azoospermic infertile patients.
Design: Prospective study.
Setting: Infertility clinic and assisted reproduction unit at the institute of embryo research and infertility
treatment, Baghdad University.
Patients: Sixty infertile azoospermic patients.
Intervention: Pieces of testicular tissue taking during open diagnostic multiple bilateral testicular biopsies was
prepared for histological examination and grouped according to well-defined histopathological patterns.
Measurement of testicular size and serum reproductive hormones (FSH, LH, Testosterone, and PRL) were done
In this paper the use of a circular array antenna with adaptive system in conjunction with modified Linearly Constrained Minimum Variance Beam forming (LCMVB) algorithm is proposed to meet the requirement of Angle of Arrival (AOA) estimation in 2-D as well as the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) of estimated sources (Three Dimensional 3-D estimation), rather than interference cancelation as it is used for. The proposed system was simulated, tested and compared with the modified Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) technique for 2-D estimation. The results show the system has exhibited astonishing results for simultaneously estimating 3-D parameters with accuracy approximately equivalent to the MUSIC technique (for estimating elevation and a
... Show MoreThe present study is concerned with the writer's ideologies towards violence against women. The study focuses on analyzing violence against women in English novel to see the extent the writers are being affected and influenced by their genders. It also focuses on showing to what extent the writer's ideologies are reflected in their works. Gender influences social groups ideologies; therefore, when a writer discusses an issue that concerns the other gender, they will be either subjective or objective depending on the degree of influence, i.e., gender has influenced their thoughts as well as behaviors. A single fact may be presented differently by different writers depending on the range of a
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This research is carried out to investigate the externally post-tensioning technique for strengthening RC beams. In this research, four T-section RC beams having the same dimensions and material properties were casted and tested up to failure by applying two mid-third concentrated loads. Three of these beams are strengthened by using external tendons, while the remaining beam is kept without strengthening as a control beam. Two external strands of 12 mm diameter were fixed at each side of the web of the strengthened beams and located at depth of 200 mm from top fiber of the section (dps). So that the depth of strands to overall depth of the section ratio (dps
... Show MoreA simple, accurate and precise spectrophotometric method has been developed for the analysis of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) in pure form and pharmaceutical preparation. The method involves a direct charge transfer complexation of sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) in alkaline medium and the presence of hydroxyl amine hydrochloride. Variables affecting the formation of the formed orange colored complex were optimized following two approaches univariate and central composite experimental design (CCD) multivariate. Under optimum recommended conditions, the formed complex exhibits λmax at 512 nm and the method conforms Beer's law for SMZ concentration in the range of 5.0-150.0 (µg.mL-1) with molar absorptivi
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The present paper includes a study of color variation in Iraqi Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto. Three different populations have been recognized: the southern population which belongs to the Indian race, the northern population to the Eurasian race; the dark and light color variation occurs in the Baghdad population because of hybridisation between the two races, found infected with two cestodes, Raillietina echinobothrida found in most of our specimens, while the dark face found beside R. echinobothrida infected with Idiogenes sp. getting it probably from vertebrate sources. We believe that most of the Baghdad population was intermediate between north and south races.
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Automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) used for many applications especially in security applications, including border control. However, more accurate and language-independent techniques are still needed. This work provides a new approach to identifying Arabic license plates in different formats, colors, and even including English characters. Numbers, characters, and layouts with either 1-line or 2-line layouts are presented. For the test, we intend to use Iraqi license plates as there is a wide range of license plate styles written in Arabic, Kurdish, and English/Arabic languages, each different in style and color. This variety makes it difficult for recent traditional license plate recognition systems and algorithms to recogn
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The mucilage from the seeds of Lallemantia royleana family Labiatae was extracted and subjected to preformulation study for evaluation of its suitability for use as suspending agent. Furosemide suspensions were prepared using (1.5% w/v) of the extracted Lallemantia royleana mucilage, (1.5% w/v) chitosan and (0.35% w/v) xanthan gum. The mucilage was white in color and the average yield of dried mucilage obtained from L.royleana nutlets was 14 % w/w of the seeds used. It is sparingly soluble in water but swells in contact with it, giving a highly viscous solution. It is slightly acidic to neutral. It was found that the extracted natural mucilage of Lallemantia royleana exhibited a higher viscosity profil
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