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.
An experiment was conducted to study how SAE 50 engine oil contaminated with diesel fuel affects engine performance. The engine oil was contaminated with diesel fuel at concentrations of 0%, 1%, and 3%. The following performance characteristics were studied: brake-specific fuel consumption, brake thermal efficiency, friction power, and exhaust gas temperature. Each treatment was tested three times. The three treatments (0%, 1%, and 3%) were analyzed statistically with a one-way ANOVA model at the 5% probability level to determine if the three treatments produced significant differences in engine performance. The statistical results showed that there were significant differences in engine performance metrics among the three treatments. The 3
... Show MoreBackground: Irrigation has a central role in endodontic treatment. Several irrigating solutions have the antimicrobial activity and actively kill bacteria and yeasts when introduced in direct contact with the microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root and leaf extracts as possible irrigant solutions, used during endodontic treatments, and both were compared to Sodium hypochlorite, Propolis and Ethyl alcohol. Materials and Method: Forty seven human extracted single rooted teeth were selected. The teeth were decoronated using a diamond disk to have a length of 15 mm ±1 mm and they were instrumented using the hybrid technique. All roots were sterilized
... Show MoreBackground: Odontogenisis is a complex process controlled by dynamic and reciprocal interactions that regulated by various molecules. Thymosin β4 is a small bioactive peptide with wide spectrum biological effects on much cell types. The present study was designed to highlight the effect of synthetic exogenous Tβ4 on developing dental tissue of the upper central teeth of rats, by histological examination and immunohistochemical evaluation of TGFβ1. Materials and method: Thirty six Albino Wister pregnant rat 18control group received intraperitoneal injection of normal saline and the others are experimental group received 50µg/300µl of Tβ4 injection. The animals were sacrificed at periods 16th and 18th day I.U.L and one day p
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The tunnel’s stability during construction is a very important matter. Some methods have been proposed for stability evaluation, but the hazard warning levels (HWLs) are more applicable among these methods. Despite monitoring and applying HWLs, several collapses in Shibli twin tunnels in Iran have cast doubts on the accuracy of this criterion in the presence of water. In this study, the critical strains under different water contents were measured through uniaxial compressive strength tests on 11 different shale and marl samples. A comparison of laboratory tests and numerical results shows that the influence of the moisture content on the critical strain is negligible. In addition, the results show that there is no dir
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Hartree-Fock calculations for even-even Tin isotopes using
Skyrme density dependent effective nucleon-nucleon interaction are
discussed systematically. Skyrme interaction and the general formula
for the mean energy of a spherical nucleus are described. The charge
and matter densities with their corresponding rms radii and the
nuclear skin for Sn isotopes are studied and compared with the
experimental data. The potential energy curves obtained with
inclusion of the pairing force between the like nucleons in Hartree-
Fock-Bogoliubov approach are also discussed.
Background: In the Thermafil as a root canal obturation, system little is known about the effect that varying rates of insertion have on the adaptability of thermoplasticized GP and the amount of apical extrusion. Materials and methods: thirty simulated root canals were obturated with thermafil obturators and Apexit Plus sealer at three different insertion rates. The obturated canals were sectioned at three different levels, the sealer average film thickness for each section was calculated and the amount of apical extrusion for each canal was conducted. Results: the higher adaptability was seen with the faster insertion rate while the slower insertion rate showed fewer tendencies to cause apical extrusion. Conclusions: the intermediate i
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The placenta is an organ between the mother and fetus necessary for fetal growth and development. Gestational diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most frequent metabolic condition detected during pregnancy. It is characterized as hyperglycemia of various severity with onset or first detection during pregnancy that does not clearly describe any form of preexisting diabetes. Urotensin II (UII), a pluripotent vasoactive peptide, is important in developing insulin resistance. This study aimed to determine the level of Urotensin II(UII) in placenta and in the serum of diabetic and nondiabetic women. Methods The blood and placenta tissue collected from 50 ladies had been enrolled in this research ( 25 females with uncomplicated), (25 women with gestati
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