1.

0 TERMS OF REFERENCE The motive behind the preparation of this paper is to try and identify the type of organizational culture operating at Local Enterprise Authority based in Mochudi.

2.0 INTRODUCTION Organizational culture refers to the way things are done in an organization and different cultures occur in different organizations. The received interpretation of the concept of organizational culture addresses the inward life of an organization; the way it lives, thinks, acts and is (Karlof 1993). Identifying an organizations culture is a pivotal tool in the success of that organization as it determines and affects certain aspects of an organization.

3.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION LEA was established by the small business act as a statutory authority of the government of Botswana. It is a non-profit making organization and has been mandated to take over the responsibility of implementing policies and programmes for the promotion and development of small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in a consolidated manner, through focused one-stop-shop services. This organization has 13 branches countrywide but the one researched for this task is based in Mochudi, Kgatleng district. VISION LEAs vision is to play a pivotal role in transforming the Botswanas economy through sustainable entrepreneurship and SMME development in pursuit of the ideals of Vision 2016. MISSION To promote and facilitate entrepreneurship and enterprise development in Botswana through targeted interventions by: Providing business planning, training and advisory services to SMMEs Identifying business opportunities for existing and future SMMEs Promoting domestic and international linkages especially between SMMEs and government, large business entities and other SMMEs Exploitation of government and large firm procurement opportunities by SMMEs. Facilitating changes in regulations, standards, infrastructure and access to finance for the benefit of SMMEs Facilitating technology adoption and diffusion by SMMEs Promoting general entrepreneurship culture and SMMES awareness.

TARGETS LEA seeks to encourage businesses to use locally available natural resources and raw materials, within the identified key sectors. LEAs key sectors are manufacturing, agriculture, services and tourism LEA will target entrepreneurs and enterprises within key sectors above and in particular women, youth and the unemployed LEA will endeavour to build competencies in quality and efficiency, to encourage import substitution and export oriented products and services.

4.0 DISCUSSION
4.1 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Wilson 1990 explains organizational culture as the basic values, ideologies and assumptions which guide and fashion individual and business behavior. These values are more evident in tangible factors such as stories, rituals, language and jargon, office decoration and layout and prevailing modes of dress among staff. 4.2 TYPES OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE Handy, (cited in Mullins 2010, pg 740) describes four types of organizational cultures as follows; POWER CULTURE: depends on a central power source with rays of influence from the central figure throughout the organization. A power culture is frequently found in small entrepreneurial organizations an There are a few rules and procedures, and little bureaucracy. ROLE CULTURE: often stereotyped as a bureaucracy and works by logic and rationality. Role or job is often more important than the individual, and position is the main source of power.

TASK CULTURE: This type of culture refers to a team approach to complete a specific project. There are popular in todays modern businesses. PERSON CULTURE: the individual is the central focus and any structure exists to serve the individuals within it. Mostly found in non-profit making organizations.

4.3 ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE FOUND AT LOCAL ENTERPRISE AUTHORITY (LEA) The culture of an organization may be reflected in various forms adopted by the organization. The researcher was able to identify the LEA culture through observation of how things are done, questionnaires and through the use of organizations brochures. i) POWER SOURCE In giving his explanation, Mullins said that where power culture operates, the organization depends on a central power source with rays of influence from the central figure throughout the organization. According to Kaplan 2010, what this generally means is that the upper levels of an organizations hierarchy retain the authority to make decisions. Local Enterprise Authority is guided by a board of directors drawn from both the private and public sector and headed by a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The board of directors ensures that legal standards are met, ensure sufficient capital is available and maintain an efficient system to control the affairs of the company (Kaplan 2010). ii) SIZE Power culture is frequently found in small entrepreneurial organizations and relies on trust, empathy and personal communications for its effectiveness (Mullins 2010). The Mochudi based LEA has a total of 17 employees and all of them are Batswana. By the number of employees, it is quite clear that the organization is small and employees have no other choice but to rely on trust and personal communications for its effectiveness. iii) LANGUAGE LEA staff is all Batswana therefore the language of Setswana is mostly spoken as compared to English. The employees dress formally during the week except on Fridays. iv) RULES AND PROCEDURES According to Mullins 2010, there are few rules and procedures where power culture operates. At Local Enterprise Authority they have processes that guide them on how to execute their day to day duties and have a code of service conduct. Being patient and very helpful when attending to a client or customer is highly encouraged.

v) ROUTINE BEHAVIOR The routine behavior is said to control the way employees interact with each other and outside shareholders. The atmosphere around LEA was cohesive and productive. They thrive under the theme of botho (respect) and effectiveness is measured at the whole cooperation rather than the department level. The company emphasizes on staff flexibility and transformation leadership. vi) PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURES This organization is technologically advanced and uses Enterprise Development Information System (EDIS) which maintains the finances of the organization, human resource, payroll and performance management systems. vii) WORKING ENVIRONMENT Their offices are very neat and nicely decorated, with the reception room making a very good first impression about the organization.

5.0 ANALYSIS
According to Jewell (2000) an organization's culture is its habitual and established way of doing things and of handling challenges. An organization develops its culture over time in the form of written and unwritten rules that determine how its members work and how they interact with one another. As such, an organization's culture can directly affect the organization's success. While there may be disadvantages to such a system, there are certainly advantages of a workplace culture worthy of consideration. The culture that operates at LEA is power culture and since there is very little bureaucracy in this Mochudi based LEA, less people are consulted and decisions are made quickly. Due to the small size of the organisation there is better goal congruence. Of recent LEA has launched an Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) to enhance the already existing one (EDIS). According to the Midweek Sun (December 8 2010), the system will help improve service offering and would allow LEA to have a smooth flow of information that would improve efficiency, professionalism and excellence within the organization. The neat and nicely decorated offices provide a conducive working environment for the employees and enhances their effectiveness. All employees are treated the same regardless of their sex. The organization values its people as they are the most important resources and the success of the organization depends on them. The assertiveness of employees towards each other at LEA promotes smooth relationships among them, since every responsible member works according to the organizations culture and are very trustworthy, this makes members more dependable and predictable. It also prevents them from expecting more than is reasonable from their colleagues. Since most of their clients are Batswana, communication is highly effective and there are fewer misunderstandings. Their formal dress code enhances their professionalism and as a result clients are at ease during consultation. .

6.0 CONCLUSION Organizational culture is simply the way things are done in an organization and its 4 main types are power culture, task culture, role culture and person culture. After thorough research and observations of the Local Enterprise Authority based in Mochudi, it is concluded that the culture that operates there is power culture; with a central power source coming from the central figure, with few employees, little bureaucracy, and very few rules and procedures. According to Jewell 2000 culture of an organization is very important as it affects the degree of employee motivation, will affect labor turnover, affects the morale and goodwill of employees which may lead to absenteeism, can affect productivity, efficiency and most importantly, culture is reflected in the reputation of the organization.

7.0 REFERENCES Kaplan, (2010).The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants F1.Berkshire: Kaplan publishing Mullins J. Laurie, (2010).Management and Organizational behavior.9th edition. Harlow: Pearson education limited. Wilson D.C, (1990).Managing Organizations. McGraw-Hill Jewell B.R, (2000). An integrated approach to business studies. 4th edition. Harlow: Pearson Education limited The Midweek Sun, Wednesday 8 2010 Karlof. B, (1993). Key Business Concepts, a concise guide. Routledge, London

PERSONAL STATEMENT

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