Embedding ethics in business practice: Pathways to societal impact in a post-transitional business environment

This article presents the main outcomes and societal relevance of an extensive research project aimed at strengthening ethical business conduct in Slovakia, a post-transition country characterised by institutional fragility, regulatory inconsistency, and weak public engagement with business ethics. Despite formal alignment with EU legal standards, many Slovak companies still lack internal ethical infrastructures. Addressing this gap, the project combined qualitative inquiry with a nationally representative quantitative survey to identify ethical deficits, developmental needs, and practical pathways for ethical capacity building. The research resulted in two applied instruments for companies as well as practical recommendations strategically targeting key stakeholders. This article outlines several strategies for increasing the likelihood of generating the momentum required for a broader transformation, emphasising that collaborations at the meso level – among businesses, professional associations, and academia – can play a pivotal role in this process. This integrative, practice-oriented approach demonstrates how business ethics research can achieve real-world relevance even in low-trust, under-resourced environments. As such, this project also offers some transferable lessons for other post-transformational or institutionally challenged contexts seeking to bridge the gap between legal compliance and meaningful ethical conduct in business.