Framing the evolution of corporate social responsibility as a discipline (1973–2018): A large‐scale scientometric analysis

Abstract

Using a scientometric approach, this study frames the evolution of corporate social responsibility (CSR) research over a period of 46 years. It carries out a statistical‐historical analysis mapping the main topics, references, sources, and countries of publication emergent in the CSR research. We apply this combination of bibliometric analyses on a sample of 2,583 CSR studies derived from Scopus (1973–2018). These analyses illustrate the interdisciplinary character of CSR. Second, this study recognises numerous topics in the history of CSR research and demonstrates how these topics emerge, vanish, or become steady over time. Third, the patterns of evolution in terms of topics are reflected in scientific journal specialisation and country coauthorship collaborations. Finally, this research provides the latest evaluation on the state of the art in this field, highlighting the newest and hottest topics. By plotting out the evolution of CSR research, practical implications are identified.

Strategic CSR for innovation in SMEs: Does diversity matter?

“…Extant research fails to acknowledge how critical CSR and diversity are to SMEs' business strategies and long-term planning, often focusing solely on large firms (European Commission, 2017a). Although CSR literature has begun to explore CSR in relation to small firms (Ferramosca Verona, 2019), suggesting how CSR might contribute to their diversity (Grosser, 2009;Grosser and Moon, 2005), help SMEs retain their qualified employees, or improve their innovative capacity (Surroca et al, 2010), we know of no studies that consider how diversity might alleviate the inherent challenges that SMEs face, including resource constraints and difficulties recruiting and retaining high quality staff (Freel, 1999(Freel, , 2000Ruiz-Jiménez et al, 2016). Recently, such difficulties have been highlighted by Terruel and Segarra-Blasco (2017) who identify firm size as a moderator of the relationship between gender diversity and innovation.…”

How significant is corporate social responsibility to business research?

“…At the journal level, we found an important concentration of CSR papers in five journals, revealing a scientific journal specialization which according to Ferramosca and Verona () reflects the patterns of evolution in terms of topics in the history of CSR research. The Journal of Business Ethics stands out as being responsible for more than half of the existing publications, followed by Corporate and Social Responsibility and Environmental Management , Business & Society , Business Strategy and the Environment , and Business Ethics—A European Review .…”

“…The year 2000 was the moment of transition between the emerging state and the growth stage, and journal statistics showed how important the role played by Journal of Business Ethics is. The recent scientometric analysis by Ferramosca and Verona () of the evolution of CSR research from 1973 to 2018 corroborated this last finding and although they observed a shift toward more specific subjects within the CSR debate, they detected four stable clusters of topics (stakeholder orientation in CSR, the implications of CSR in firm performance, the ethical components of CSR, and the effects and requirements of CSR disclosure on reporting). Among the newer topics, they highlight the focus on CSR in small businesses, as well as the emphasis placed on assurance and integration with the corporate governance aspects of CSR.…”

Research patterns and intellectual structure of Managerial Auditing Journal: a retrospective using bibliometric analysis during 1986-2019

“…In contrast, bibliometric review has rarely been employed to undertake thematic analysis in the accounting area. Whilst this may reflect the quantitative nature of the methodology involved, a number of authors -including Ferramosca and Verona (2020), Kumar et al (2020), and Lindquist and Smith (2009) -have successfully employed bibliometrics in a thematic context in broader examinations of publication and citation trends.…”