Responsible Capitalism
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Thomas J. Bata Lecture Series on Responsible Capitalism CONFERENCE REPORT March 4, 2014, Prague “Service is the very life of business. Economic performance is important – without it we cannot survive – but it is not the sole responsibility of business today. The real role of business is to give a service by making and selling products that satisfy the wants and needs of society, and in doing so to be a caring organization in partnership with community and government.” Thomas J. Bata Thomas J. Bata Lecture Series on Responsible Capitalism in Prague The Bata Shoe Foundation established the Thomas J. Bata Lecture Series on Responsible Capitalism in honor of the late Thomas J. Bata, who would celebrate his 100 th birthday this year. Known as “Shoemaker to the World,” Mr. Bata built the Bata Shoe Organization into the world’s leading footwear retailer and manufacturer with sales of over 20 billion pairs during his lifetime. Currently the Organization operates on 5 continents and serves 1 million customers each day. Thomas J. Bata promoted themes such as the Business at York University in Toronto, Canada, benefits of entrepreneurship, regional co-opera - and Tomáš Baťa University in Zlín, the Czech Re - tion, and responsible capitalism throughout his public. Over a ten-year period, each university lifetime and was famous for his outstanding com - will host the Lecture Series in alternate years. mitment to Bata company employees. This Lec - ture Series is inspired by the belief of Mr. Bata The fourth edition of the Thomas J. Bata Lecture and the Bata Family that business is a public trust Series on Responsible Capitalism featured which should contribute to the well-being of the a panel discussion with Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, communities in which it operates. Jan Bubeník, and Pavlína Kalousová. The panel discussion was moderated by Daniel Anýž. Mr. The Lecture Series reflects Thomas J. Bata’s spe - Brabeck-Letmathe also delivered his lecture to cial attachment to Canada and to the Czech Re - the honored guests in the Senate of the Parlia - public, the country of his birth. It is a joint ment of the Czech Republic. collaboration between the Schulich School of COnFeRenCe RePORT | M ARCh 4, 2014, P RAgUe 3 Hosting Institutions Tomas Bata University in Zlín foto Zdeněk Němec Tomas Bata University in Zlín (TBU) is named strives to be one of the most prominent educa - after Tomáš Baťa (1876 –1932), the internation - tional and research institutions in the world. ally acclaimed entrepreneur who founded the Therefore, it has always been bilingual and world-renowned shoe company in Zlín. his son, placed considerable emphasis on teaching eng - Thomas J. Bata, held the post of Chairperson of lish to both its students and staff. TBU is a mem - the University’s Board of governors from the es - ber of the european University Association, tablishment of TBU until his death in September which associates over 850 universities from 47 2008. Currently, Mrs. Sonja Bata represents the countries in europe. TBU signed the Magna Bata family on the Board. The TBU motto is Charta Universitatum of Bologna, which aims to “erudire et creare” – educate and create. Its six support scientific development and freedom. In faculties focus on educating approximately 2012 TBU was awarded the eCTS Label certifi - 11,000 Czech and international students in tech - cate. In 2006 and subsequently in 2009 and in nology, economics, visual arts, philology, peda - 2013, the european Commission awarded TBU gogy, health care, business management, and the Diploma Supplement Label, increasing its marketing. It also has a strong focus on graduate prestige among european institutions of higher research, development and innovation. TBU education. 4 ThOMAS J. B ATA LeCTURe SeRIeS On ReSPOnSIBLe CAPITALISM Schulich School of Business Known as Canada’s global Business School™, that lead to careers in the private, public, and the Schulich School of Business in Toronto is non-profit sectors, and has over 25,000 alumni ranked among the world’s leading business working in more than 90 countries. The School schools by a number of global surveys. global, in - pioneered Canada’s first International MBA novative, and diverse, Schulich offers business (IMBA) and International BBA (iBBA) degrees, programs year-round at two Toronto sites: its as well as north America’s first ever cross-border state-of-the-art complex on York University’s executive MBA degree, the Kellogg-Schulich ex - main campus and its downtown Miles S. nadal ecutive MBA. In addition to Schulich’s Master of Management Centre located in the heart of the Finance and Master of Accounting degrees, the city’s financial district; and at its new campuses School recently launched one of the world’s first in hyderabad, India and Beijing, China. The Master of Business Analytics degrees. Schulich’s School also operates satellite centers in Beijing executive education Centre provides executive and Shanghai, China; Mumbai, India; Seoul, development programs annually to 12,000 exec - South Korea; Mexico City, Mexico; and Sao utives in Canada and abroad. Paulo, Brazil. Schulich offers undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate business degrees COnFeRenCe RePORT | M ARCh 4, 2014, P RAgUe 5 Panel Discussion “People as a Key to Successful Business” 6 ThOMAS J. B ATA LeCTURe SeRIeS On ReSPOnSIBLe CAPITALISM COnFeRenCe RePORT | M ARCh 4, 2014, P RAgUe 7 People as a Key to Successful Business Sonja Bata Chairman, Bata Shoe Foundation Ladies and gentlemen, it is such a pleasure to be ees in making decisions. he insisted that all em - in Prague. Although my husband lived in ployees continue their education, continually tak - Canada, a part of his heart was always here in the ing improvement courses on company time, and Czech Republic and I am just delighted that this also promoted healthy ways of living. It is there - event is taking place here in this room. Mr. fore particularly appropriate that we are dis - Singer, I would like to express my thanks again cussing the importance of people in today’s panel to you for your generosity that we can use this discussion. The concept of the lecture series is to wonderful venue. commemorate my husband’s dedication to re - sponsible entrepreneurship and service. I was The Bata Shoe Foundation established this lec - married for 63 years, a long time, and my hus - ture series shortly after my husband died. his fa - band often stated that he did not view the busi - ther had been a major influence on his life and he ness as a vehicle for self-enrichment, but rather pursued his father’s ideas. Both my husband and for improving the lives of company employees, his father were talented businessmen and gifted customers, associates, and those who lived in the entrepreneurs. Yet both had a vision of the role communities in which Bata companies operated. that business could play, not only in improving the lives of employees, but more importantly in The same philosophy motivates our whole family acting as an agent for social change. Both con - today; a conviction that business should be a sidered business to be a service to society. public trust and should have values in which peo - Through the business they would put shoes on ple believe in as part of a strong culture. Tradi - people’s feet, create jobs, help employees with tional assumptions about capitalism and its role their careers, and thereby enable them to live a in society are being questioned. In 2008 when we better life with their families. My husband pro - started the first lecture in Toronto, the concept moted entrepreneurship by empowering employ - that business should act in the interest of all 8 ThOMAS J. B ATA LeCTURe SeRIeS On ReSPOnSIBLe CAPITALISM The Introductions stakeholders, not only shareholders, was rather new. We hold a more long-term paradigm with regards to the impact business decisions have be - yond making profit for shareholders. Young peo - ple in particular demand more and more social responsibility from management in many areas including integrity, transparency, sustainability, and equality. The number of non-governmental organizations calling for these changes has mushroomed every - where in the world. Trust has become more im - portant than ever before. good leadership is assessed not only by profitability, but also by the long-term impact on society. These are the very important issues for a panel discussion and I am most grateful to our panelists for agreeing to par - ticipate and give us their views. COnFeRenCe RePORT | M ARCh 4, 2014, P RAgUe 9 People as a Key to Successful Business Petr Sáha Rector of Tomas Bata University in Zlín In 2007, Thomas Bata was awarded a special life- conglomerate, Tata Sons Ltd., as the keynote time achievement award Responsible Capitalism speaker. In the second series, here in Prague, in by FIRST, a multi-disciplinary international or - this room, we introduced Professor Yunus, the ganization based in London. Sadly, a year later in nobel Peace Prize Winner and Founder of the 2008, Thomas Bata passed away at the age of 93. grameen Bank of Bangladesh. The third speaker, Shortly after his death, Sonja Bata and the Bata again in Toronto, was Paul Polman, Chief exec - Shoe Foundation established the Thomas J. Bata utive Officer of Unilever, one of the largest con - Lecture Series on Responsible Capitalism to sumer product companies. Today we have the commemorate his dedication to responsible en - pleasure to have with us Peter Brabeck, the trepreneurship. It was inspired by Mr. Bata’s and Chairman of the Board of Directors of nestlé. I the Bata family’s strong belief that business is a hope that you will have an unusual and exhilarat - public trust that should contribute to the well- ing experience.