The Past and Future of Corporate Sustainability Research

Organization & Environment

68 Pages Posted: 13 Oct 2022 Last revised: 19 Oct 2023

See all articles by Vanessa Burbano

Vanessa Burbano

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Management

Magali A. Delmas

UCLA; University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

Manuel Jesus Cobo

University of Cádiz

Date Written: October 18, 2023

Abstract

Despite the skyrocketing of corporate sustainability research in management, environmental grand challenges like climate change, persist. Given firms’ pivotal role in either improving or worsening these challenges, it is important to consider how corporate sustainability research can impact the resolution of these challenges. Understanding the historical evolution of the cognitive structure of the field facilitates the forecasting of the likely future path of sustainability research. Through the analysis of the co-occurrence of 25,701 keywords in 11,954 sustainability-related articles from 1994-2021, we identify and graphically illustrate how ideas in the field have been interconnected, evolved, and are trending. Unexpectedly, we observe that the environmental focus in the literature wanes despite heightened environmental salience. We suggest ways that the trajectory of sustainability research should change to improve our ability to help businesses address environmental challenges. These include reassessing the problem focus, recalibrating theoretical foundations, and reimagining methodologies.

Keywords: Corporate sustainability, systematic review, research impact, science mapping, bibliographic analysis

JEL Classification: M14

Suggested Citation

Burbano, Vanessa and Delmas, Magali A. and Delmas, Magali A. and Cobo, Manuel Jesus, The Past and Future of Corporate Sustainability Research (October 18, 2023). Organization & Environment, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4236578 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4236578

Vanessa Burbano

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Management ( email )

3022 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
United States

Magali A. Delmas (Contact Author)

UCLA ( email )

Los Angeles, CA 90095
United States
(805) 893-7185 (Phone)
(805) 893-7612 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.ioe.ucla.edu/delmas

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) ( email )

405 Hilgard Avenue
Box 951361
Los Angeles, CA 90095
United States

Manuel Jesus Cobo

University of Cádiz

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