Business ethics and corporate social responsibility as a tool to stimulate interest in the living environment

Business ethics, corporate social responsibility and environmental management in business largely overlap and are often the reason for the controversy over their effectiveness and real benefits for businesses and society. An elementary prerequisite for their effective functioning is the overall social interest. Specifically, it concerns the interest on the part of businesses management and, on the other hand, the interest of the citizens who are able to appreciate these practices and put a special emphasis on them. The constant pressure for the protection of the environment from interest groups and international organizations is of a fundamental importance in the development and application of ethical, social and environmental standards that are used in business practice. The information contained in this article presents the information from both primary and secondary surveys carried out in the Czech Republic. The aim of the information is to assess the attitudes of the respondents in the Czech Republic toward the issue of the overall social nature, which the business ethics and related areas such as corporate social responsibility and environmental management certainly are. In the light of the results of national surveys, it is possible to talk about a contradictory perception of these areas. The contradictory nature can be mainly seen in the positive attitudes toward the acquaintance with this issue and the real interest in the support through a financial compensation of such an approach to business. All interpretations are based on the data, which are derived from the questionnaire surveys carried out in the years 2015 - 2018.