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They met as PhD students at the Faculty of Economics and shaped each other’s path. While Petra Taušl Procházková (PP) stayed at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and now teaches future economists about sustainability in business, Lucie Mádlová (LM) moved into practice and founded the Association of Social Responsibility. It brings together those who want to build businesses that chase more than profit alone. Together they form a duo that makes it clear change isn’t just possible — it’s already underway.

How do you make sure people don’t see sustainability as a fad or a tired slogan?

LM: Years ago, sustainable efforts were often just PR or occasional charity. Today, companies see it as a full way of doing business and making decisions. Every choice then affects everything else. Our latest survey among members of the Association shows that most companies see sustainability as a core value and a fixed part of their strategy and culture. They also respond to their customers—most people now look for products and brands that act responsibly.

PP: It’s a very alive system that keeps changing. It would be naïve to expect the whole public to see sustainability as a vital part of life with an impact on future generations. But as Lucie says, research clearly shows a shift. Sustainability is becoming a steady part of business and everyday life.

What does sustainable business mean to you personally, and when did you realize this was your path?

LM: I came across sustainability in 2008 during an Erasmus+ PhD program in Denmark. It captured me so much that after coming home, I changed my dissertation topic from production systems to social responsibility and stayed with it. The real turning point came on maternity leave, when I founded the Association of Social Responsibility. Thirteen years later, it has 630 members.

PP: Already during my studies I could see that sustainability wasn’t a side topic. It opened space for new business opportunities. Our Entrepreneurship Center, founded in 2015, naturally grew into the Center for Entrepreneurship and Sustainability. It became clearer and clearer that sustainability doesn’t stand next to business; it’s part of it.

Today you both inspire others. You teach, motivate and help change business practice. What have you learned from each other?

PP: Lucie’s enthusiasm is infectious and deeply inspiring. I’m glad I’ve been able to follow her career. I try to teach students about sustainability, build projects linking academia with practice, and guide PhD candidates in this area. It’s not always easy, but thanks to Lucie’s support I see how meaningful it is.

LM: Petra has been involved in the Association since its very beginning, whether on the supervisory or executive side. Our work bond grew into a long friendship I value deeply. I’m the impulsive one, Petra keeps things grounded. Even when we clash, we respect each other. I’m grateful for her insights that often push the Association forward.

The Faculty stresses responsibility toward the region. How well are West Bohemia’s efforts to support responsible business taking hold?

PP: The shift is gradual, but real. I wouldn’t call the region a model example yet, but I see concrete steps and people moving things forward — companies, public bodies, local leaders. It helps when they sit at one table, share experience and tackle local issues. It’s a mosaic of small steps, more evolution than revolution.

LM: On a national level, some regions are ahead — Prague, Central Bohemia, South Moravia, Moravian-Silesia with its many innovators and start-ups. But it's great to see progress in West Bohemia too. I remember the first Governor’s Award for Social Responsibility, which we managed to organize in Plzeň early on. It was one of the first of its kind in the country.

What business habits or company management practices make you, as economists, cringe? Where do managers stumble most?

PP: Some companies mix up sustainability with marketing and talk about it without integrating it into real decisions. Others set bold goals but don’t invest in people, processes and partnerships needed to make them real. Then even good intentions end up as surface-level actions without real impact.

LM: Exactly. We all repeat it, but sustainability must be part of business itself. If it isn’t, it can’t influence performance or competitiveness.

If you had to name the biggest challenge for sustainable business in the Czech Republic today, what would it be?

LM: The biggest challenge is deep social polarization. Sustainability gets simplified and politicized, even though at its core it’s about behaving responsibly toward people and the place we live in. No matter whether we call it CSR, sustainability, or ESG. Opinions may differ, but we have only one planet.

PP: I fully agree with Lucie.

What should the new generation of economists at UWB carry forward?

PP: Sustainability isn’t a short-term idea. Anyone can start small, with things they can influence. If the next generation enters practice with at least basic awareness of sustainability, they’ll be much more prepared to work with it and treat it as a natural part of life and work. And that, I believe, is already happening.

LM: Start simple. You can’t change the whole world in one go. Ask yourself: “What truly matters to us?” Maybe it’s just one issue, one area close to your work. The second step is not being afraid to ask for help. And the third? Simply begin. Every change starts with a small decision.