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.
Background Cadmium (Cd), one of the most abundant heavy metals, is extremely toxic to both humans and animals. hIt is well known that zinc (Zn) administration reduces Cd-induced toxicity and that metallothioneins can have a protective effect in biological systems to mitigate Cd toxicity. Objective The aim of the current study to determine if Zn administration affected the induction of MT-1 and MT-2 in the liver tissue in mice exposed to Cd. Materials and methods Metallothionein protein (MT) level in the tissue of male mice were detected using the anion -exchang high-performance liquid chromatography coupled (HPLC)assay and immunohistochemical staining. Results Single treatment to zinc or cadmium increase the level of MT in the liver, but zi
... Show MoreThe research aims to know the availability of supra-cognitive thinking skills in the questions and activities of the computer book for the fifth grade preparatory scientific and literary branches in Iraq for the academic year 2018/2019, as the researcher has prepared a list of supra-cognitive thinking skills included two areas and (6) key skills and (27) A sub - skill, where by the questions and activities of the aforementioned authors were analyzed. The researcher followed the descriptive analytical approach "method of content analysis", and adopted the explicit and implicit unit of analysis, as was verified the validity and stability of the analysis, and the results showed unevenness and imbalance in the distribution of supra-cognitive th
... Show MoreThe Covid-19 virus disease has been shown to affect numerous organs and systems including the liver. The study aimed to compare lipid profiles and liver enzyme levels in individuals who had recovered from Covid-19 infection. To achieve the study objectives, liver Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Random Blood Sugar (RBS) and Lipid profile which include cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), Triglycerides (T.G), Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), and Very low-density Lipoprotein (VLDL) were determined.
One hundred twenty serum samples were obtained, of which fifty samples were utilized as the control healthy persons (not affected by COVID) and seventy samples came f
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Neuron-derived neurotrophic factor [NENF], a human plasma neurotrophic factor, also increases neurotrophic activity in conjunction with Parkinson's disease-related proteins in Neudesin. Although Neudesin (neuron-derived neurotrophic secreted protein) is a member of the membrane-associated progesterone receptor (MAPR) protein subclass, it is not evolutionary related to the other members of the same family. The expression of Neudesin is found in both brain and spinal cord from embryonic stages to adulthood, as w Neudesin levels in Parkinson's patients with osteoporosis disease and Parkinson's patients without osteoporosis disease, as well as the relationship between Neudesin levels, Anthropometric and Clinical Features (Age, Gender, BMI) and
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Apart from graduating five-star doctors, a particular medical college has the mission to motivate and offer researchers the opportunity to publish high-quality researches on various health problems and disseminate updated medical knowledge to a wide range of local and international readers. This could be accomplished by establishing a medical journal and releasing issues regularly
The formal investigation of the interior spaces of the residential bedrooms for children with autism is one of the basic tasks that should be known by the interior designer. Achieving an atmosphere compatible with his health condition, which contributes to generating a sense of spatial intimacy through the design dimension provided by the interior designer and his tireless endeavor to meet the needs of the child in an internal environment that achieves the functional dimension and spiritual approaches that enhance the child’s sense of spatial belonging and contribute to improving his mood and this positively reflects on his behavior and social integration. The current research has reached the most important design criteria that must be
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Art education is one among the fundamental subjects for elementary school students, because it contributes to assembling learners’ personalities and developing their technical skills. For this reason, this research comes, which aims to understand the effect of the task groups’ strategy in developing the performance of elementary school students in art education. to realize the goal of the research, the researcher put the subsequent hypotheses:
-There is not any statistically significant difference at the amount (5%) between the typical many students between the experimental group that studied consistent with the strategy of task groups and therefore the control group that studied in keeping with the same old method that they obt
This purpose of the research is to test liquidity ratios to assess bank liquidity risks represented by liquidity ratios (current assets / current liabilities, current assets / total deposits, current assets / total assets, cash credit / total deposits, liquidity coverage ratio LCR, net stable financing ratio NSFR). This research involves evaluating these risks in banks via these ratios, and reveal the most important means used to solve these risks, including the capital adequacy ratio under the Basel II decisions and for selected period (2017-2019).The research reached the most important conclusion, which is the bank sample did not fall into bank liquidity risks throughout the years of research. Tracking specific ratio with adequ
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