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.
Commercially pure titanium (cpTi) is widely used as dental implant material although it was found that titanium exhibited high modulus of elasticity and the lower corrosion tendency in oral environment. Niobium(Nb) was chosen for this study as an alternative to cpTi implant material due to its bioinert behavior and good elastic modulus and moderate cost in addition to corrosion resistance. This study was done to evaluate the effect of biomimetic coating on the surface properties of the commercially pure titanium and niobium implants by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The in vitro study was involved etching the samples of each material in HCl then soaking in 10M NaOH aqueous solution. These samples were then immersed in a 5 times concent
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Incremental sheet metal forming process is an advanced flexible manufacturing process to produce various 3D products without using dedicated tool as in conventional metal forming. There are a lot of process parameters that have effect on this process, studying the effect of some parameters on the strain distributions of the product over the length of deformation is the aim of this study.
In order to achieve this goal, three factors (tool forming shape, feed rate and incremental step size) are examined depending on three levels on the strain distributions over the wall of the product. Strain measurement was accomplished by using image processing technique using MATALB program. The significance of the control factors are explored u
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The current research aims to know the method and strategy of rainstorming for students to open the door towards innovation and creativity in the field of teaching the subject of geography and the importance of brainstorming method and the studies that touched on it. The study also dealt with the steps of teaching the method of brainstorming and the most important (traditional and modern), and the difficulties of using the method of brainstorming in the teaching process, as well as explained the guidance to improve teaching using the method of brainstorming in the teaching p
... Show MoreEarthquakes in the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith of the Noble Prophet, an intellectual approach
هدف البحث الى بيان طبيعة ارتباط والتأثير بين الضغوط التنافسية (المتغير المستقل) والتجديد الاستراتيجي (المتغير التابع) ، تم تطبيق البحث في فنادق الدرجة الممتازة في بغداد. وبلغت عدد افراد عينة البحث (99) مديراً يعملون في (6) فنادق من الدرجة (الممتازة) ببغداد، وهي (فندق الرشيد، فندق عشتار، فندق ميريديان، فندق المنصور، فندق بابل، وفندق بغداد) وتم اجراء التحليل الاحصائي باستخدام البرنامج الاحصائي AMOS وظهرت وجود تنافسي
... Show MoreMost researchers concentrate their studies on the design, stress and pressure distributions of the prosthetic socket. A little attention is considered for the stiffness of the various materials of the prosthetic sockets. Prosthetic laminated sockets in Iraq are costly to be manufactured while polypropylene socket is relatively cheap in comparing with the laminates.
Experimental study is conducted to compare the stiffness of five prosthetic sockets made of different materials. Compression, three point flexural and tensile tests are implemented by the Testometric machine. The laminate sockets give better results in compression than polypropylene. Polypropylene gives good results in bending compared with the laminate sockets. When t
... Show MoreThe study aims to determine the organizational monitoring mechanism in target organization as well as knowing the suffocation of work. The study depends on a questionnaire as a tool of collecting data on distributed random sample involved (45) person from different levels in manufacturing isphelt Dohuk. The study depends on some hypothesis, the most significant one is that there is not impact of organizational monitoring of suffocation especially on the target organization.
Training and retraining of teachers have become a central issue in Iraq recently especially in-service training of English teachers on the new curricula (Iraq opportunities). English teachers should be objectively evaluated and assessed.
A sample of (40) trained teachers of English is included in the study and a questionnaire is used as the main instrument of the study.
The main findings of the study were the following:
1. The trainees were serious in training on the new course (item 6) the programme helped increase their information (item 4) and motivate them towards better teaching (item 3). The aims of the programme were clear (item1). The programme helped develop their teaching skills (item 2) and was comprehensive (item 5).