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.
Iraqi EFL students face difficulties in writing composition, especially academic writing, which affects negatively their exam results. This study has been conducted in the Department of English at College of Education for Women, University of Baghdad, in order to identify first year EFL students’ incompetence in writing. This may enhance their achievement by some weekly writing activities. It deals with Iraqi EFL students’ difficulties in writing paragraphs such as descriptive, process, opinion, and factual paragraphs. The study aims to identify these difficulties and to suggest suitable solutions for them. The researcher perceives that it is necessary to enhance students’ skills in writing because it i
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Background: With the increasing demand on esthetic orthodontic appliances, discoloration of clear elastomeric chains and modules remains an issue which concerns both orthodontics and patients. This in vitro study was conducted to evaluate the effect of exposing stretched clear elastomeric chains from six different companies (Ortho Technology, Ormco, Ortho Organizer, American Orthodontics, Opal and G&H companies) to three types of dietary media (tea, coffee and turmeric). Materials and methods: A total of 960 lengths of six modules were cut from short type elastomeric chain; 160 pieces from each brand. The specimens were stretched 50%, placed on plastic boards, and incubated in water at 37°C for 1 day, 7 days, 14 days and 28 days. Once a
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The management of wisdom is concerned with the level of expertise, methods of transmission, use and ability to problems and their impact on behavior and human behavior in order to improve it in the form of successful decisions. The importance of management of wisdom in making successful decisions that ensure the survival and development of society through the provision of leaders capable of planning, organization and decision-making to achieve the goals and objectives required in a complex and changing environment. Where the administration faces positions and problems that require operational decisions to organize the activities of the institution in line with the strategic decisions already taken under the proper strategic planning. The ex
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Background: Eucalyptus extracts and derivatives are natural substances with potent antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the in- vitro effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on the antifungal activity of alcoholic and aqueous Eucalyptus extracts against Candida albicans, a common oral pathogen. Materials and Method: Ten isolates of Candida albicans were isolated from dental students’ salivary samples. The alcoholic and aqueous extracts were prepared from fresh Eucalyptus leaves using maceration. The sensitivity of Candida albicans isolates to various concentrations of Eucalyptus extracts ranging from 50 to 250 (mg/mL) was evaluated via agar well diffusion method, while the agar streaking method was used to assess the minimum
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It is an analytical study carried out at university of Basra using a sample included the dean ,assistants and managers of scientific dept. in the university for about(63)managers .The study aimed at discovering a model of crises management in the university.The researcher adopted the descriptive survey methodology.To achieve the objective of the study ,a questionnaire of (41)statements was developed covering five main variables like ,signal detection, prevention and preparedness, response, recovery and learning .The validity of the questionnaire was done by a group of referees .Its stability was determined by Cronbach,s Alfa .The questionnair,s stability coefficient was(0.
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The study dealt with measuring the impact of the availability of each of the content elements of the interaction, electronic services, and information on the evaluation of the users of the government website for its effectiveness in terms of the site’s functions and for measuring the site’s ability to present the organization’s tasks to customer groups.
Authority is concerned with measuring the confidence of customers in the content of the site, and in the organization as a whole. Validity is related to measuring the effectiveness of employing the site’s content to achieve the goal of its creation and in communicating with customers. Availability It is for measuring the ease of use of the site. The relevance, which means
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E-learning is a lifeline for the educational process, which contributed to the sustainability of working educational organizations and prevented them from stopping, so the study came to measure the compatibility between E-learning quality dimensions (information technology, educational curricula, teaching methods, and intellectual capital of educational institution) as an independent variable, and educational services quality dimensions represented by (safety, tangibility, reliability and Confidence) as a dependent variable. The sample was 150 teachers was drawn from the College of Administration and Economics community of 293 teachers through the use of several statistical methods to measure the degree of correlation and impact between the
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Background: Dental caries is one of the most significant problems in world health care. Restoring carious primary teeth is one of the major treatment goals for Children, and the light activated resin restoration materials like composite, resin-modified glass ionomer and polyacid-modified which was introduced in dentistry in 1970, widely used in clinical dentistry but its application increased dramatically in recent years because of its biocompatibility, color matching, good adhesive properties of its resemblance in physical and mechanical aspects to tooth. The aim of this study: To evaluate the microleakage of Polyacid-Modified Composite resin Compared to Flowable Hybrid Composite and Resin-Modified Glass ionomer cement. Materials and me
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Television contributes children the acquisition of knowledge, moral and social values through programs that are offered to them and the extent of the focus on the effective aspects of life in the age of the target stage. The subject of this research aims to know the children programs in Libya television through a comprehensive analytical study of the program entitled “zihur al-hayat” within the broadcast season from April 1, 2004 to June 30, 2004. It also focuses on trying to identify the Libyan television policy in broadcast educational content through the children's programs in the prevailing political and social conditions during the period of study as well as knowing the opinions of the children's sample under study in Al-Baidhaa
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