Baťoviny

The name Tomáš Baťa is fairly well-known and is often regarded as a synonym for entrepreneurial success in the First Republic era. The origin of Baťa’s success is frequently attributed to the introduction of assembly line production, workshop self-management, profit and loss sharing, and many other factors.

But what if it’s all different? And how can we explain Tomáš Baťa’s specific words: “I do not bequeath buildings or machines to you; they are just piles of bricks and iron. It is the people who give them life. I bequeath to you a system, and may it be of benefit to all.”

What exactly was Tomáš Baťa talking about? If he bequeaths his system to everyone, it cannot be aimed solely at entrepreneurs. And when he adds: “I did not build a business; I built a person, and that person built the business.” What does such Baťa-style personal development look like?

Baťa’s legacy is much broader than it appears at first glance. It is not narrowly targeted only at entrepreneurs, managers, and people in business. Not at all. Baťa’s philosophy is based on the premise that success in business depends on a person’s ability to work on themselves – to build themselves in the Baťa way. Anyone can build themselves, regardless of whether they are an entrepreneur or not. The foundation of Baťa’s philosophy is to lead each individual to self-respect, active thinking and perception of the world, life balance, and the ability to take care of themselves.

Gabriela Končitíková, a lecturer of Baťa’s philosophy from the Tomáš Baťa Foundation, will introduce you to how to discover and especially apply these individual principles in everyday practice.