Publication details
Batismus, urychlená modernita a průkopníci práce. Personální politika Baťova koncernu a řízené přesuny zaměstnanců v letech 1938-1941
| Title in English | Batism, accelerated modernity and labor pioneers. Bata Group's staff deployment policy and controlled staff transfers in 1938-1941 |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2010 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Moderní dějiny |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://www.hiu.cas.cz/cs/nakladatelstvi/periodika/moderni-dejiny/cislo-18-1-2010.ep/ |
| Field | History |
| Keywords | History; 20th century; Czechoslovakia; Baťa; management |
| Description | The study deals with what is known as controlled dispatch of selected staff to be deployed as labor pioneers in new Baťa factories abroad, and with the organization of such transfers in the years 1938-1941. As the topic dealt with is very broad a wide range of sources are available for research and interpretation. Quite broad is also the research method as well as the ways of presentation, which makes it possible to apply different viewpoints and ask different questions. During the research the issue of disciplinary policy of batism arose which by means of certain practices shaped the staff member identity in the Zlín-based Group and aimed at forming an ideal member of the Company staff. It is not our goal to only prove the "almightiness" of the discourse; we also try to point out the degree of disciplination and, if any, the resistance to such practices. The Baťa-type management system is described by some authors as a hierarchical process of carrying out orders issued from a single management center. We believe that such interpretation is insufficient. Although the transfer planning exhibits a tendency towards an administrative form of Group staff control by means of scientific simplifications, the final form of controlled transfers differed from the rational view of the Group Management. The eventual result was actually due to a power unbalance in a wider social field of actors linked through interpersonal networks. The elaborated concepts and schedules constituted idealized programs whose accurate implementation was hindered by a number of both internal and external factors. In addition, their course and orientation were also influenced by the selected candidates, who were supposed to accept them in accordance with the Management's intentions. Thus, the eventual form, which was largely due to improvisation and chance, differed from the initial visions and the efforts made. |
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