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.
The robot arm is the most popular robotic form used in industry. Thus, it is crucial to make a system programming which could controlled the movement of each part in the industrial robot to make it works properly. One of the simplest models of the robot arm is EDARM ED-7100 which has a controller to control the movement of the robot arm manually. In this study, the robot controller has been redesigned in order to improve this robot's function. The new controller system used AT89S52 microcontroller which has wire connected to the robot hand. A function has been added with this controller to improve the system of controlling and becomes better than the previous system (only manually). The functions of the new system include three mo
... Show More
The aim of this study is to evaluating the antibacterial activity of Laurus nobilis leaves extract in hospital environment isolates. Maceration and Soxhlet apparatus were used to prepare aqueous and methanolic extracts. The total phenolic content and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were conducted to determine the active compounds in the extracts. The results showed that the methanolic and aqueous extracts contain four flavonoids derivatives (kaempferol, luteolin, quercetin and Rutin) were identified on the basis of matching retention time with the standards. The total phenolic contents were 56.81 and 81.56 mg/g in 50 mg/ml, in aqueous and methanolic extracts respectively. The antibacterial activity of Laurus nobilis leaves ext
... Show More
In this study, hydroxyapatite (HAP, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2) has been prepared as bioceramic material with biological specifications useful to used for orthopedic and dental implant applications. Wet chemical processing seems to form the fine grain size and uniform characteristic nanocrystalline materials by the interstice factors controlling which affected the grain size and crystallinity in order to give good mechanical and/or constituent properties similar as natural bone. Fluorinated hydroxyapatite [4-6 wt% F, (FHA, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2–Fx] was developed in new method for its posses to increased strength and to give higher corrosion resistance in biofluids than pure HAP moreover reduces the risk of dental caries. The phase's and functional groups
... Show More
(2)
Polymer blended electrolytes of various concentrations of undoped PAN/PMMA (80/20, 75/25, 70/30, 65/35 and 60/40 wt%) and doped with lithium salts (LiCl, Li2SO4H2O, LiNO3, Li2CO3) at 20% wt have been prepared by the solution casting method using dimethylformamide as a solvent. The electrical conductivity has been carried out using an LCR meter. The results showed that the highest ionic conductivity was 2.80x10-7 (Ω.cm)-1 and 1.05x10-1 (Ω.cm)-1 at 100 kHz frequency at room temperature for undoped (60% PAN + 40% PMMA) and (80% PAN + 20% PMMA) doped with 20%wt Li2CO3 composite blends, respect
... Show More
(2)
Seventy of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates had been collected from some Hospitals in Baghdad city from October to December 2017. The 70 isolates were taken from diverse clinical specimens. All K. pneumoniae isolates were identified based on API 20 E and Vitek2 compact system. Antibiotics sensitivity test was carried out toward 10 antibiotics using discs diffusion method. The level of antibiotics resistance was 81.42% for Ceftriaxone, whereas the low level of antibiotics resistance was 37.14% for Piperacillin. K. pneumoniae isolates were typed genotypically by using two different methods of amplification, multiplex-PCR and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR typing methods. Results showed that out of 70 isolates, there
... Show More
(14)
(9)
Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated containing host molecule of conjugated polymer MEH-PPV poly (2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenlenevinylene) which was dissolved in chloroform solvent and doped with guest molecules MWCNTs that were dissolved in DMF solvent with different volume ratios 0.05 and 0.15, nanocomposite system which acts as active layer in OLEDs device. The Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly-(styrenesulfonate) "PEDOT:PSS" and Tris98-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum "Alq3" as hole transport layer HTL and electron transport layer ETL were used respectively, to enhanced the injection charge from the electrodes to the active layer. Spin coating method used for achieving facile and low cost OLED. The absorption s
... Show More
(5)
Aim: To evaluate the side effects of Tamsulosin hydrochloride in fertility of experimental rats. Materials and methods: three groups of mice were used. First and second groups were injected [intraperitoneal (I.P.)] daily for 42 with 8 and 16 µg /kg mouse body weight (kg.b.wt) of Tamsulosin hydrochloride, respectively. Third group was injected with PBS (control). Several biological and histopathological studies were conducted on rat groups. Results: Significant decrease in number, motility and viability of epididymal sperm post injection with 16 µg /kg.b.wt, while injection with 8 µg /kg.b.wt reduced significantly, percentage of viability of sperm as compared with the control group. High percentage of abnormal sperm was observed in mice t
... Show MoreMoisture damage is one of the most significant troubles that destroy asphaltic pavement and reduces road serviceability. Recently, academics have noticed a trend to utilize fibers to enhance the efficiency of asphalt pavement. This research explores the effect of low-cost ceramic fiber, which has high tensile strength and a very high thermal insulation coefficient, on the asphalt mixture's characteristics by adding three different proportions (0.75%, 1.5%, and 2.25%). The Marshall test and the Tensile Strength Ratio Test (TSR) were utilized to describe the impact of ceramic fiber on the characteristics of Marshall and the moisture susceptibility of the hot mix asphalt mixture. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microsc
... Show More
(6)
This work deals with separation of the aromatic hydrocarbons benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) from reformate. The separation was examined using adsorption by molecular sieve zeolite 13X in a fixed bed process. The concentration of aromatic hydrocarbons in the influent and effluent streams was measured using gas chromatography. The effect of flow rate and bed length of adsorbent on the adsorption of multicomponent hydrocarbons and adsorption capacity of molecular sieve was studied. The tendency of aromatic hydrocarbons adsorption from reformate is in the order: benzene >toluene>xylenes.