The history of De Baak is the history of a philosophy!
De Baak was created from the Central Social Employers Association (CSWV), founded in 1945. The aim of the employers’ organization was unique at the time: ‘The Association wishes to operate in the field of labor – in industry, banking, insurance, trade and transportation, while respecting everyone’s convictions and political views and pursuing good social relationships in the business community.’ Many aspects of De Baak’s philosophy and culture bear the stamp of De Baak’s founder and first director, Charles Maitland.
Learning at De Baak
At the beginning (from 1948), participants at De Baak learned by being taught and the innovations resulted from the emphasis on both the human side of management and the personal development of the participants. The style focused on teaching: giving lessons, delivering a story to a group, distributing case histories, explaining, and handing out syllabi. In the mid-1990s, the focus shifted from teaching to learning: skills training, learning in peer groups, and using participants’ own case histories. The importance of learning continued to grow over the years.
Unlearning and Non-learning
In 2005, De Baak identified a need for unlearning and non-learning. The emphasis of unlearning is on shaking off acquired patterns and shedding adapted behavior. Non-learning concerns an attitude of openness and surprise, and of curiosity about the world around us and the opportunities it has to offer. People who are genuine and open have the greatest chance of contributing to organizations and society. The ever-changing world demands an enormous amount of adaptability and the ability to take innovative and creative action.
De Baak’s Mission
De Baak focuses its activities on the development of the Dutch knowledge economy. We are committed to the objectives of the Innovation Platform and want to contribute to this in our own way. The themes that set De Baak apart are leadership and business acumen, based on a highly personalized approach in an international context. De Baak wants to be an excellent social enterprise as expressed in our mission: De Baak is a unique company that helps itself and others grow through learning. The learning environment we provide is fed by elements from art, culture and nature. We are oriented towards the liberal arts and therefore have a greater literary and artistic focus than other institutes.