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.
The study was performed to isolate and identify the Myxococcus fulvus from the one hundred samples of soils of farms. Special growth conditions had been used to support the growth of M.fulvus local isolates and suppressed the growth of other microorganisms like (Drying , High Temperature , High concentration of antibiotics and specific growth media ) M.fulvus isolates had been subjected to the morphological, cultural , biochemical examination for identification , as well as , study the inhibitory activites of cells and filtrates of localized isolates against some pathogenic fungi include (Trichophyton mentagrophytes , Microsporum gypseum , Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxyporum ) by using three methods :- Cup assay , well diffusio
... Show MoreThis study aimed to reveal the extent to which the values of social peace are included in the content of social and national studies textbooks of the middle stage in kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To achieve this goal, the researcher used the descriptive analytical approach. The study sample consisted of all developed social and national studies textbooks of the middle stage in kingdom of Saudi Arabia in first and second semester of student books in edition of 1439-1440. The study tool was the analysis card. The study reached the following results: 1-The content of social and national studies textbooks of the middle stage in kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a whole included (38) social peace values of total (40) values, corresponding to the inclusio
... Show MoreAbstract
Agricultural investment is one of the main requirements in most economies of the world for its importance in the development of the agricultural sector through the agricultural and technological infrastructure and agricultural research, as well as its impact on most economic, social and service activities, especially if managed and employed scientifically, which generates income and productive capacities and services and new commodities, Unemployed as agricultural investments in Iraq fell significantly after 2003 due to economic, political, social
Background: This study aimed to use the combined mesio-distal crowns widths of maxillary incisors and first molars as predictors to the combined mesio-distal crowns widths of maxillary and mandibular canines and premolars. Materials and methods: The sample included 110 Iraqi Arab subjects with an age ranged between 17-25 years and class I skeletal and dental relations. The crown widths of maxillary teeth and mandibular canines and premolars were measured at the largest mesio-distal dimension on the study casts using digital electronic caliper with 0.01 mm sensitivity. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used to determine the relation between the combined mesio-distal crowns widths of maxillary incisors and first molars and the combined
... Show MoreA comprehensive practical study of typical mechanical properties of welded Aluminum alloy AA7020-T6 (Al-Mg-Zn), adopting friction stir welding (FSW) technique and conventional metal inert gas (MIG) technique, is well achieved in this work for real comparison purposes. The essences of present output findings were concentrated upon the FSW samples in respect to that MIG ones which can be summarized in the increase of the ultimate tensile strength for FSW was 340 MPa while it was 232 MPa for MIG welding, where it was for base metal 400 MPa. The minimum microhardness value for FSW was recorded at HAZ and it was 133 HV0.05 while it was 70 HV0.05 for MIG weld at the welding metal. The FSW produce 2470 N higher than MIG welding in the bending t
... Show MoreBackground: Cisplatin is one of the most
commonly used anti-cancer drugs , but its
clinical use was limited by its nephrotoxicity .
Methods: In this study we try to investigate the
renoprotective effect of captopril and
aminophylline against cisplatin induced
nephrotoxicity .For this purpose a 36 Sprague
Dawley rats was divided randomly to 6 groups ,
each group consist of 6 rats. The first group
given normal saline and act as control group,
while the other 5 groups given cisplatin ( 7.5
mg/kg ) , captopril ( 60 mg/kg ) , aminophylline
( 24 mg/kg ) , captopril with cisplatin and
aminophylline with cisplatin respectively. All
drugs are given as single dose through
intraperitonial route. After 6
GA Al Omran, AA Noaimi, Z Al Madfai, H Al Hamamy, Journal of the Faculty of Medicine Baghdad, 2012
The research aims to presenting a number of scenarios for the investment of the marshes. The problem of research problem was that there is no in-depth analysis of the marshes environment. The traditional methods of the environmental analysis are insufficient. The research community is represented by the decision makers in Maysan Governorate. The research led to proposing of three scenarios with statement the requirements for the success of each one. The most important conclusions are that the three proposed scenarios for marshes investment depend on the availability of the required volunteers for each scenario. The higher the availability of the requirements, the more optimistic the scenario becomes. If t
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