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.
Listeria spp. is one of the abortion causative agents in animals, especially in ruminants. This work aimed to detect Listeria spp. in milk and aborted fetus cows in Iraq. A total of 50 organ samples from aborted cow fetuses, including (brain, liver, and spleen), and 50 milk samples from the same aborted cows were collected from Baghdad farms, Iraq from (October 2023- March 2024). The bacteria were identified by conventional culture methods, biochemical tests, and the VITEK2 compact system, followed by molecular confirmation. The antimicrobial resistance pattern assay was performed using the disc diffusion method against eight antibiotic agents, and the L.monocytogenes virulence genes involving prfA,actA, and hylA genes were detected using t
... Show MoreUrban land price is the primary indicator of land development in urban areas. Land prices in holly cities have rapidly increased due to tourism and religious activities. Public agencies are usually facing challenges in managing land prices in religious areas. Therefore, they require developed models or tools to understand land prices within religious cities. Predicting land prices can efficiently retain future management and develop urban lands within religious cities. This study proposed a new methodology to predict urban land prices within holy cities. The methodology is based on two models, Linear Regression (LR) and Support Vector Regression (SVR), and nine variables (land price, land area,
... Show MoreAsbestos is a hazard pollutant to human health, exposure to asbestos cause serious health effects and wide range of asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma and it has been classified as carcinogen by the World Health Organization WHO which cause a carcinogenic effects. Fibers of asbestos are mainly released from friction product in brakes and clutch linings and from reinforce agent in the asbestos cement industry. The aim of this was to evaluate the levels of asbestos fibers in surroundings air of some dense traffic points in Baghdad, through winter 2020. Materials and Methods: Samples of airs was carried out by directing air flow to a mixed cellulose ester membrane filter mounted on an open face
... Show MoreTotal quality management considers one of the modern scientific entrances which practiced by productivity service organizations alike to provide appropriate quality required outputs according to the needs and desires of customers manage , enable the organization seeking to continue and grow in light of the increasing competition from the satisfy and provide the appropriate total quality management requirements whenever led to face risks that they may have in a manner in which they can be addressed and find ways to avoid them in the future when repeated. &n
... Show MoreA study carried out for study effect of furfural that extracted from corn cobs by using specialized reaction system laboratory on phytopathogenic fungi: Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium solani in addition to biocontrol fungus Trichoderma viride were isolated from infected plants and from their rhizosphere . The preparation results of different concentrations from stock solution in concentration 1% of furflural showed that The concentration was 100 ppm of furfural was inhibited the growth of P. aphanidermatum46.7 % and the was in concentration 400 ppm. while the concentration 500 ppm caused inhibition 50% and 41.1% of R. solani and F. solani respectively. Whereas the concentration 500 pp
... Show MoreThe development of the television industry has led to the emergence of a new type of entertainment program in which producers have abandoned stereotypes in traditional programs, known as (Reality TV show). This type of program has spread rapidly in America, (where there are more than 40 series of these programs), as well as Europe and more than twenty countries around the world, including the Arab countries, where the number of these programs today to about 1000 programs and the number is increasing , Especially with the readiness of the production networks to produce more of these programs for the huge profits they derive from them (because of the high viewing rates and the large number of ads broadcast through them) in return for low prod
... Show MoreResearch Summary The aim of the search for knowledge of the effect generative learning strategy in: 1 - Achievement of the second grade. 2 - Systemic thinking for the second grade students when studying the biology. The study sample increased (60) students distributed into two equal experimental and control groups. Prepare the test of 40 pieces of multiple choice type and prepare a test for systematic thinking according to three skills 1. Understand the relationships between the parts of the systemic form and complement the sentences given 2 - complement the relationships between parts of the systemic form 3. Building the systemic form. It was a search result 1- There is a difference of statistical significance (at level 0.05) between th
... Show MoreThe Research deals with the negative phenomena which appeared in the urban scenes of the Iraqi cities after 2003, particularly trespassing the architectural design of the urban Individual houses. Many academic researchers , critics, and cultural circles, drawn attention to the impact of political and cultural variable change on such phenomena without detailed analysis . The research problem is set according to central questions : If the phenomena is the trespass , what
are the sides which are being trespassed in the division of the individual house? , If the diagnosis of the phenomena denotes perceived repetition of the cases , So what's size of this transposes on the architectural design of t