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 research aims to learn about public relations programs and their role to enhance the morale of the State land Transport Company employees.The researcher relied on the survey method and use a questionnaire and scale tools to collect information from workers in the Department of Relations and Media and employees in all departments.
The research reached several conclusions, including:
1- Public relations seek to increase workers’ confidence in senior management and motivate them to improve their production, as well as their relentless endeavor to bring workers closer by following multiple and varied forms of communication with them.
2- The results of the study showed that there was a negative i
This study was done to determine the concentration of several heavy metals in the water of Al-Saddah agricultural drainage in Al-Saddah District in Babylon Province/Iraq. The concentrations of six heavy metals were measured (Pb, Cd, Cu, Hg, Fe, Zn). It was found that Pb concentration ranged from 0.06 mg/L at St.2 in autumn to 0.13 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Fe concentrations ranged from 0.04 mg/L at St.2 in autumn and winter to 0.41 at St.2 in Summer. Cd concentrations ranged from 0.008 mg/L at St.2 in summer to 0.05 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Cu concentrations ranged from 0.01 mg/L at St.1 in both autumn and winter to 0.63 mg/L at St.2 in winter. Hg concentrations was ranged from 0.002 mg/
The research aims to identify decent work and its impact in enhancing job immersion. The questionnaire was adopted as a tool to analyze the sample responses of (81) workers to represent an estimated response rate of (88 per cent) out of the total population of (92) individuals. The research adopted descriptive-analytical approach, and reliability calculation, arithmetic means standard deviations, relative importance, and regression analysis adopted on SPSS v.25. The conclusion shows that there is a medium correlation between decent work and job immersion, and there is a low impact of decent work with its dimensions in job immersion; extract the most important acceptable components for job from the sample point of view about the o
... Show MoreThis article aims to establish and evaluate standards for critical equipment and materials in highway projects in Iraq. Delphi technique has been used to analyze, explore, and discover the main criteria and sub-criteria that affect equipment and materials in highway construction projects in Iraq. To determine the correct response to the criteria presented in this study, a program (IBM, SPSS/V25) was used to assess the main criteria and sub-criteria using the mean score (MS) and standard deviation (SD) technique, as well as to check reliability using Cronbach's alpha factor (α). The experts' qualifications and the extent to which the person is ready to commit are both important factors in panel selection. The design of a
... Show More The current research aims to highlight the role of human resource management with its practices (human resource planning, selection and placement, training and development, performance evaluation, compensation, and incentives) in raising the level of individuals' performance and its dimensions (task performance, contextual performance, unproductive work behavior, and adaptive performance) by explaining the research problem, which can be limited to the low level of performance of individuals, where the researchers use the descriptive analytical approach and the SPSS program in the practical aspect of the research community represented by the general manager and his assistant
on the subject of the provisions of recitation among students of the Islamic Sciences Colleges).
The researchers adopted the experimental method and chose an experimental design for the two equivalent groups by post-test. The research sample consisted of (60) male and female students from (second stage) - Department of Qur’an Sciences and Islamic Education - University of Diyala, and the two researchers were rewarded between the two groups of research in the following variables: (Chronological age calculated in months, degrees of recitation rulings subject in the previous year, the two researchers studied the same research groups, and lasted for an entire semester, the researchers prepared the observation card to measure the ru
... Show MoreMany studies have been made and still concerning the field of translation. Since the mid-90's a considerable amount of researches has tackled the problem of gender and its effect on the process and the product of translation. Simon (1996, p 508) points out that when comparing women and men as translators and writers through history, women seem to be the weaker side. This paves the way to feminist movements which produce prominent studies concerning gender as a concept and translator's gender as practice on the quality and the accuracy of the translation.
Flotow (in Meschia, 2012, p 1-4) outlines several issues that can be
... Show MoreThe study aims to investigate the effect of Al2O3 and Al additions to Nickel-base superalloys as a coating layer on oxidation resistance, and structural behavior of nickel superalloys such as IN 738 LC. Nickel-base superalloys are popular as base materials for hot components in industrial gas turbines such as blades due to their superior mechanical performance and high-temperature oxidation resistance, but the combustion gases' existence generates hot oxidation at high temperatures for long durations of time, resulting in corrosion of turbine blades which lead to massive economic losses. Turbine blades used in Iraqi electrical gas power stations require costly maintenance using traditional processes regularly. These blades are made
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