Abstract
THOMAS BAT'A, the distinguished and enlightened Czechoslovak manufacturer who met a tragic death in a flying disaster on July 12, just as he was leaving his aerodrome at Otrokovice in Moravia on a journey to Germany and England, was a leading Central European personality. From humble beginnings he built up one of the largest and most progressive leather goods concerns in the world. Through hard work, skill, and a thorough knowledge of all the details of the industry, he evolved the model establishment at Zlin, which has grown tenfold since the War, in order to accommodate his ever expanding undertakings. He was also responsible for the new educational buildings for the young and adult employees, and also for the up-to-date hospital and clinics which were at the disposal of townsfolk and others. Whilst he expected his workers to give their best service, he studied their interest in every way. He limited their duties to five days a week and encouraged them to improve their knowledge in their leisure, and anyone who showed ability or initiative obtained rapid promotion. He believed in strict discipline, but never expected anything from a worker that he was not prepared to accept himself.
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Mr. Thomas Bat'a. Nature 130, 121 (1932). https://doi.org/10.1038/130121c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/130121c0