Few companies are as global as the privately-held Bata Shoe Organization. In the 100 years since the company was founded in the little Moravian village of Zlin in today’s Czech Republic, it has grown to be one of the largest shoe companies in the world, annually manufacturing more than 300 million pairs of shoes in over 75 countries. Few companies have had to deal with the amount of turmoil that Bata has faced during its long history: the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Nazi takeover of Europe, the rise of Communism in Eastern and Central Europe, the nationalization—sometimes followed by de-nationalization—of its assets in several countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, civil wars and so on. But each time it has re-emerged—intact but in a somewhat different form—as a genuinely global company. This interview with Thomas Bata, Chairman of the company, discusses the elements of its structure, culture, and values that have made the company so resilient in its approach yet so determinedly international in its outlook.

McKinsey: In its 100 years of existence, the Bata Shoe Organization has explored several different ways to operate as a global company. Why?

Bata: Our first major transformation occurred when...