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.
Haemoproteus burhinus is described from the stone curlew, Burhinus oedicnemus saharae (Reichenow) from Al-Attariya, 45 km SE Baghdad city middle of Iraq. It is related to but differs from H. peireci in that it hypertrophied the erythrocyte and the erythrocyte nucleus is always laterally displaced in microgametocytes.
Background: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory diseases affecting the supporting tissues of the teeth. One of the leading environmental factors that are closely related not only to the risk but also to the prognosis of periodontitis is smoking. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of smoking on periodontal health status and to measure the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 in smokers and nonsmokers chronic periodontitis patients, also it aimed to test the correlation between the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and the clinical periodontal parameters. Materials and Methods: Five milliliters samples of un-stimulated whole saliva and full-mouth clinical periodontal recordings (plaque index, gingival index, bleeding on probing,
... Show MoreA reliable and environmental analytical method was developed for the direct determination of tetracycline using flow injection analysis (FIA) and batch procedures with spectrophotometric detection. The developed method is based on the reaction between a chromogenic reagent (vanadium (III) solution) and tetracycline at room temperature and in a neutral medium, resulting in the formation of an intense brown product that shows maximum absorption at 395 nm. The analytical conditions were improved by the application of experimental design. The proposed method was successfully used to analyze samples of commercial medications and verified throughout the concentration ranges of 25–250 and 3–25 µg/mL for both FIA and batch procedures, respecti
... Show MoreThis article describes how to predict different types of multiple reflections in pre-track seismic data. The characteristics of multiple reflections can be expressed as a combination of the characteristics of primary reflections. Multiple velocities always come in lower magnitude than the primaries, this is the base for separating them during Normal Move Out correction. The muting procedure is applied in Time-Velocity analysis domain. Semblance plot is used to diagnose multiples availability and judgment for muting dimensions. This processing procedure is used to eliminate internal multiples from real 2D seismic data from southern Iraq in two stages. The first is conventional Normal Move Out correction and velocity auto picking and
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This research’s goal is to restore and to revive the jurisprudence of Mother of Believers (Um alMuaamineen) “Um Salmah” "may God bless her", and to highlight her outstanding assimilation and understanding of religion and her conscious thought. The current research is a comparative scientific theoretical study represented in the comparison of jurisprudence of “Um Salamah” with Hadiths of fasting and pilgrimage rules as well as the duration mentioned in jurisprudence of for doctrines( 4 schools of thought )to identify these hadiths with the inclusion and discussion of their evidence.
The current research included two topics: the first one is to identify and introduce
... Show MoreThe chamomile is one of the most important medicinal plants recommended for treatment of asthma and some respiratory system diseases. This research was designed to research the effects of aqueous extract of chamomillarecutita on histological structure of Diaphragm of albino mice. The study included 40 male albino mice Musmusculus, their age ranged from (5-7) weeks.The mices were divided randomly to 5 groups and oral administered with 1 ml every day for 10 days:- First Group G1: consider as control group and treated with normal saline,Second Group G2: was treated with aqueous extract of chamomile with concentration of 3 gm /100 ml D.W, Third Group G3: was treated with aqueous extract of chamomile with concentration of 5 gm /100 ml D.W.Fourth
... Show MoreBackground: The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate and compare the effect of preheating microleakage among three different filler size composites which include Filtektm Z250 micro hybrid, Z250xt Nano hybrid and nanocomposite Z350xt. in Class II cavity preparation .
Materials and methods: sixty maxillary first premolars were prepared with class II cavities. Samples were divided into three groups according to material used group A (FiltekZ250 micro hybrid). Group B(Z250xt Nano hybrid). Group C (nanocomposite Z350xt)and each group divided into two subgroups of ten teeth according to temperature of composite:
... Show MoreIn a world of limited space, the owners are always surrounded by others next to them, and, consequently, there is hardly any activity which the owner may exercise on his land which would not affect the other owners. If he builds a building, that building may block the sun's rays or the air from the buildings next to it and owned by other people. And if he runs a business, the lands adjacent to that business may be overburdened with the accompanying noise or traffic. If oil is prospected in a land, the neighboring lands may be deprived of oil or their owners may be exposed to toxic fumes. Hence the importance of researching the intention of harming others, as it is one of the most important forms of abuse in the use of the right (especially
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