In the Kingdom of Shoes : Bata, Zlín, Globalization, 1894-1945 / Zachary Austin Doleshal.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Doleshal, Zachary Austin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bata Shoe Company--History.

Bata Shoe Company.

Footwear industry--Czech Republic--Zlín--History--20th century.

Footwear industry.

Company towns--Czech Republic--Zlín--History--20th century.

Company towns.

Labor and globalization--Czech Republic--History--20th century.

Labor and globalization.

World War, 1939-1945--Czechoslovakia.

World War, 1939-1945.

Corporate culture--Czech Republic--Zlín--History--20th century.

Corporate culture.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Toronto, Ontario : University of Toronto Press, [2021]

Summary:

"One of the world's largest sellers of footwear, the Bata Company of Zlín, Moravia, has a remarkable history that touches on crucial aspects of what made the world modern. In the twilight of the Habsburg Empire, it Americanized its production model while also trying to Americanize its workforce. In the chaos of postwar Czechoslovakia, it promised a technocratic form of governance. During the Roaring Twenties, Bata became synonymous with rationalization across Europe and thus a flashpoint for a continent-wide debate. In the Great Depression, Bata globalized when others contracted, and in doing so, became the first shoe company to unlock the potential of globalization. As Bata expanded worldwide, it became an example of corporate national indifference, where company personnel were trained to be able to slip into and out of national identifications with ease. Such indifference, however, was seriously challenged by the geopolitical crisis of the 1930s. Bata management turned nationalist, even fascist, on the cusp of the Second World War."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

List of Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations and Terms

Introduction

1 "A New Fixed Existence": The Modernization of Zlín

2 "Time Es Money": The Americanization of the Dřevnice Valley, 1914-1923

3 "An End to Politics," 1923-1926

4 "Speak Briefly": Rationalization and Everyday Life, 1926-1932

5 "Half the World Is Barefoot": The Globalization of the Bat'a System, 1931-1937

6 "The Path of Perfection": Engineering the Batovci for an Uncertain World, 1933-1938

7 "Everyone Gives Their Soul to Their Country," 1937-1939

8 "Not a Nazi, but More or Less a Fool," 1939-1945

Conclusion

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-4875-3447-7

1-4875-3446-9

OCLC:

1276854805