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 came to discuss the subject of industries dependent on petrochemical industries in Iraq (plastic as a model) during the period 2005–2020, and the study concluded that the plastic industries contribute to areas of advancement and progress and opportunities to deal efficiently with the challenges posed by the new variables, the most important of which is the information revolution. communications and trade liberalization, and this is what contributes to the competitiveness of these industries. And because the petrochemical industry in Iraq has an active role in establishing plastic industrial clusters and clusters of micro, small, and medium industries by providing the necessary feedstock for these industries in various fields
... Show MoreIntegrated project delivery is collaboratively applying the skills and knowledge of all participants to optimize the project's results, increase owner value, decrease waste, and maximize efficiency during the design, fabrication, and construction processes. This study aims to determine IPD criteria positively impacting value engineering. To do this, the study has considered 9 main criteria according to PMP classification that already covers all project phases and 183 sub-criteria obtained from theoretical study and expert interviews (fieldwork). In this study, the SPSS (V26) program was used to analyze the main criteria and sub-criteria priorities from top to bottom according to their values of the Relative Importance In
... Show MoreWith the great development in the field of the Internet, the talk about the new media and its implications began, And its interactive services have made the future of media material sometimes participating in it and manufacturing it at other times,
the public is seeking information and choosing the appropriate ones, as well as exchanging messages with the sender after what the role of the receiver is just receiving information only.
This study aims to demonstrate the effects of using digital media in various forms and types to construct the value system of Iraqi society through the identification of the following aims:
Identify the most popular digital media for the Iraqi public in their daily lives on the Internet.
Identify
Education around the world has been negatively affected by the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Many institutions had to transition to distance learning in compliance with the enforced safety measures. Distance learning might work well for settings with stable internet connections, professional technical teams, and basic implementation of technology in education. In contrast, distance learning faces serious challenges in less fortunate settings with inferior infrastructure. This report aims to shed light on the immediate action steps taken at a leading pharmacy school in Iraq to accommodate for the enforced changes in pharmacy education. The University of Baghdad College of Pharmacy went from less than minimal technology impl
... Show MoreIn this paper, a theoretical investigation was suggested to study underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) system based on multiple input–multiple output (MIMO) technique. The modulation schemes such as RZ-OOK, NRZ-OOK, 32-PPM and 4-QAM applied under different coastal water types. MIMO technique enabled the system to transmit data rate with longer distance link. The performance of the proposed system examined by BER and data rate as a metrics. Several impairments such as the types of water by the attenuation of coastal water and the distance link were taken into account for the transmission of the optical signal to appreciate the reliability of the MIMO technique. The theore
The economy of a city has an important role not only in its establishment but also in its development. This is quite clear in the city of Baghdad throughout its history since its building in 762 A.D. In addition, most of its problems that the city is suffering from are basically related to not giving enough importance to the economic factors in the master planning of Baghdad since 1950’s. This may explain the failiars of master plans in dealing with the actual population growth and the city's inability to absorb such increases and interrelated and diverse activities which are negatively reflected on the economic variables particularly the effect on the land values, and the strong competitions amongst the land uses without previ
... Show MoreThe effect of micro-and nano silica particles (silica SiO2 (100 μm), Fused silica (12nm)) on some mechanical properties of epoxy resin was investigated (Young's modulus, Flexural strength). The micro-and nano composites were prepared by using three steps process with different volume fraction of micro-and nano particles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 vol. %). Flexural strength and Young's modulus of nano composites were increased at low volume fraction (max. enhancement at 4 vol.% ). However at higher volume fraction both Young's modulus and flexural strength decrease. Moreover, above, the mechanical properties are enhanced more than that of neat epoxy resin. The flexural strength decreases with increasing the volume fraction of micr
... Show MoreHeterocyclic compounds are employed in many applications, and numerous researchers have created liquid crystals by adding heterocyclic to the structures of these molecules. This work includes the synthesis and characterization of new compounds that contain 5H-thiazolo [4,3-b][1,3,4] thiadiazol united in multiple steps, starting with the synthesis of the aldehyde compound [I] by reaction chloro ethyl acetate with 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde in the presence of ethanol and potassium carbonate, followed by reactions with thiosemicarbazide, mercapto acetic acid in sulphuric acid to produce compound [II] then reflux compound [II] with hydrazine hydrate to product compound [III], after that reaction the later compound with nalkoxybenzaldehyde [IV]n and
... Show MoreThe aim of this work is to study the histological and histochemical structure of the Harderian gland in indigenous pigeons. Samples were obtained from 10 males and 10 females of adult healthy pigeons. Hematoxylin and eosin, Alcian blue (pH 2.5), periodic acid-Schiff and promo phenol blue, stains were used for paraffin section examination. The gland was teardrop like in shape, light brown to pink in color, capsulated with thin connective tissue. It was multilobular compound acinotubular in structure and lined by columnar epithelial cells. Lymphocyte, plasma cells and plasma cells with Russell bodies were present underneath the epithelia of central collecting duct and around the secretory unite. Histochemically; the
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