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 work is concerned with a two stages four beds adsorption chiller utilizing activated carbon-methanol adsorption pair that operates on six separated processes. The four beds that act as thermal compressors are powered by a low grade thermal energy in the form of hot water at a temperature range of 65 to 83 °C. As well as, the water pumps and control cycle consume insignificant electrical power. This adsorption chiller consists of three water cycles. The first water cycle is the driven hot water cycle. The second cycle is the cold water cycle to cool the carbon, which adsorbs the methanol. Finally, the chilled water cycle that is used to overcome the building load. The theoretical results showed that average cycle cooling power
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A new class of biologically active nanocomposites and modified polymers based on poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with some organic compounds [II, IV, V and VI] were synthesized using silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). All compounds were synthesized using nucleophilic substitution interactions and characterized by FTIR, DSC and TGA. The biological activity of the modified polymers was evaluated against: gram (+) (staphylococcus aureus) and gram (-): (Es cherichia coli bacteria). Antimicrobial films are developed based on modified poly (vinyl alcohol) MPVA and Ag-NPs nanoparticles. The nanocomposites and modified polymers showed better antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (Gram negative) than against Staphyloc
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The investment decision, a critical decision for each investor as it involves risks and uncertain returns, so investors should avoid cases of uncertainty associated with the final decisions they are involved, and the problem of research in individual differences and differences in the behavior of individual investors and reflect the impact of this investment decision in the Iraqi market for securities. Therefore, the research aims to understand and analyze the impact of determinants of investor behavior as an independent variable in investment decision-making as a dependent variable in the Iraqi market for securities, and the research started from two main hypotheses to explore the influence and correlation between research varia
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In this study, gamma-ray spectrometry with an HPGe detector was used to measure the specific activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K in soil samples collected from IT1 oil reservoirs in Kirkuk city, northeast Iraq. The “spectral line Gp” gamma analysis software package was used to analyze the spectral data. 226Ra specific activity varies from 9 0.34 Bq.kg-1 to 17 0.47 Bq.kg-1. 232Th specific activity varies from 6.2 0.08 Bq.kg-1 to 18 0.2 Bq.kg-1. 40K specific activity varies from 25 0.19 Bq.kg-1 to 118 0.41 Bq.kg-1. The radiological hazard due to the radiation emitted from natural r
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Objective: To determine the prevalence of bullying among primary schools’ children with some associated factors, and resultant effects. Methodology: This cross-sectional study with analytic elements was carried out from February through April 2022. It included a sample of 410 students from six governmental primary schools from both sides of Baghdad city. A self-constructed questionnaire was used. It comprised the following parts: Part (1): socio-demographic data, Part (2): questions that review the students’ exposure to bullying, and Part (3) entails the effects of bullying on those children. Results: The total sample was composed of 410 students; their mean age was 9.51±1.94 years. The prevalence of bullying was 56.34%. Studen
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The digital dermatoglyphics were studied in 120 females derived from northern region of Iraq (60 Arabs and 60 Kurds). Two kinds of analyses were perfomed : Quantitative and Qualtative. The unilateral and bilateral analyses for dermal ridge counts in each digital and the overall did not reveal any significant difference when t-test was used. A high correlation coefficients were revealed in this study between homologous and adjacent digits, moreover, significant differences were revealed between Arabian and Kurdish samples in both analyses when Fisher Z transform test was used, but the significant differences in the bilateral analysis exceed the ones in the unilateral. This indicates the importance of the former analysis in detecting the vari
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Compton profile, the Compton energy absorption cross sections are
measured and calculated using formulas based on a relativistic
impulse approximation. The Compton energy-absorption cross
sections are evaluated for different elements (Fe, Zn, Ag, Au and Hg)
and for a photon energy range (1 - 100 keV). With using these crosssections,
the Compton component of the mass–energy absorption
coefficient was derived, where the electron momentum prior to the
scattering event caused a Doppler broadening of the Compton line.
Also, the momentum resolution function was evaluated in terms of
incident and scattered photon energy and scattering angle. The res
The study included adding antimony oxide to mixtures of coating metal surfaces (Enameling), after it was selected ceramic materials used in the coating metal pieces of the type of steel and cast iron in two layers. The first is called a ground coat and the second is a cover coat.
Ceramic materials layer for ground coat have been melted down in
platinum crucible at a temperature of 1200oC to prepare the glass
mixture (Frit). It was coated on metals at a temperature of 780oC for
two minutes, while the second layer was prepared glass mixture
(Frit) at a temperature of 1200oC, but was coated at a temperature of
760oC for two minutes.
Underwent tests crystalline state of powders (Frits) and enameled samples using X-ray di