Research trends in board attributes and corporate social responsibility performance

Abstract

This article synthesises insights from corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature by conducting a comprehensive review of the influence of board attributes on CSR performance. It draws on peer-reviewed studies published between 1989 and 2024, identifying impactful authors, journals, and articles, as well as exploring the key terms frequently used in this research domain. The study applies a systematic literature review through bibliometric analysis of 348 manuscripts indexed in Scopus, focusing on both accounting and non-accounting academic journals. The methods employed include the analysis of co-authorship networks, citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and publication trends, which together reveal the most influential authors, leading journals, and geographical patterns of CSR research. The findings show that interest in the relationship between board attributes and CSR performance has increased significantly since 2007, with research concentrated in countries such as China, the United States, and Australia. Influential contributors include Karaman AS, and Martinez Ferrero, J. The analysis demonstrates that board characteristics play an important role in shaping CSR outcomes and highlights a recent shift in attention towards developing countries. The study identifies research gaps and suggests that future work should broaden database coverage beyond Scopus to improve the generalisability of findings.