THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE IN THE SECURITY SECTOR: A CASE STUDY OF ZIMBABWE PRISONS AND CORRECTIONAL SERVICE

The entrepreneurial activities in the security sector have not been visible despite the tight budget from the fiscus that do not fully fund the Zimbabwe Prisons and correctional services' needs. Whilst the cash flow challenges in many countries including Zimbabwe have continued to squeeze fiscal space, many public sector leaders have been finding it difficult to accommodate reduced budgets even embracing entrepreneurship in the security sector. This new concept of entrepreneurship does not appear to have a room in the strategic thinking of the security sector due to the bureaucratic management style in the sector and thus the concept of entrepreneurship remain a ‘creature from outer space' in the world of the security sector. Consequently, this study examines the significance of promoting entrepreneurial culture in the security sector, focusing on the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS), Harare Metropolitan Province, as a case study. Questions based on the research objectives were formulated and four hundred (400) questionnaires were distributed and 5 focus group discussions were conducted in Harare Metropolitan province. Findings reveal that developing and promoting entrepreneurial culture is significant in the security sector in Zimbabwe, just like any other security sectors in the developing and developed economies. The traditional militaristic nature of the security sector is also hampering the introduction of ‘entrepreneurial culture'. Thus, this study recommends that the organisation under study should cultivate an entrepreneurial culture to achieve the ‘entrepreneurial society' through public –private partnership so as to improve their service and generate funding to support its own requirements under the retention Fund.