The Role of Entrepreneurship in Synchronising Production, Business, and Operational Issues in the Zimbabwe Prison & Correctional Service (ZPCS)

Abstract

Despite growing scholarly and policy interest in prison-based production and rehabilitation initiatives in developing economies, empirical evidence remains limited on how entrepreneurship functions as a coordinating mechanism across production, business, and operational systems within correctional institutions. Existing studies largely focus on isolated outcomes such as agricultural productivity or inmate skills acquisition, while overlooking systemic misalignments, weak value-chain integration, and deficiencies in institutional coordination. Therefore, this study examines how entrepreneurship can play a central role in synchronising production, business, and operational functions within the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service (ZPCS). Anchored on the Resource-Based View (RBV), an operations management theory, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem model, the research investigates how institutional entrepreneurship can enhance productivity, self-sufficiency, rehabilitation, and organisational sustainability. Thus, a mixed-method research design was employed, incorporating systematic document analysis alongside observational insights gathered from selected prison farms and vocational training centres. Thus, findings indicate that although ZPCS demonstrates growing entrepreneurial orientation that is through agricultural production, commercial ventures, vocational training, and public–private partnerships regrettably, misalignments persist among the production, business, and operations domains. Key challenges include inadequate mechanisation, regulatory bottlenecks, limited marketing skills, weak value chains, and inconsistent operational coordination. The study therefore, concludes that a deliberate, integrated entrepreneurial strategy can strengthen institutional efficiency, reduce fiscal burdens, and enhance rehabilitation outcomes. Accordingly, policy and managerial recommendations are provided to improve synchronisation and long-term sustainability.