Abstract: Business ethics and employee motivation are closely intertwined components that directly influence organizational efficiency, employee satisfaction, and overall business performance. Ethical business practices foster trust, a sense of fairness, and concern for individuals, which are key drivers of high motivation. The empirical part of this paper presents a study conducted on the attitudes of respondents in the Republic of Croatia regarding the implementation of business ethics in operations, as well as the key ethical factors influencing employee motivation. The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of individual ethical factors on employee motivation toward greater efficiency. Descriptive statistical and analytical methods were employed in the preparation of this paper. Quantitative data were collected through a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was used for data processing, summarization, and graphical presentation. The results indicate that the organizational ethical factor (working conditions) is a key factor in motivating employees toward greater efficiency. Finally, the research findings are summarized, and recommendations for future research are provided.

Keywords: motivation, business ethics, employee satisfaction, efficiency