IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/now/fntacc/1400000061.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Research on Corporate Sustainability: Review and Directions for Future Research

Author

Listed:
  • Grewal, Jody
  • Serafeim, George

Abstract

We review the literature on corporate sustainability and provide directions for future research. Our review focuses on three actions: measuring, managing and communicating corporate sustainability performance. Measurement is the least developed of the three and represents promising opportunities for research. Compelling evidence now exists on the role of management control systems, investor pressure and mandated disclosure in improving corporate sustainability outcomes. Research has moved beyond weighing the importance of all sustainability issues equally, with recent studies drawing distinctions between the financial materiality of different sustainability issues. Collectively, this new line of inquiry suggests that improving performance on material sustainability metrics is related to improved financial performance, helping to resolve four decades of inconclusive evidence on the relation between sustainability and financial outcomes. Finally, we review research on how disclosure mediums, accounting standards, information monitors and intermediaries shape the communication of sustainability performance. We conclude with a call for research on how to measure performance in the 21st century when corporate purpose extends beyond shareholder value maximization.

Suggested Citation

  • Grewal, Jody & Serafeim, George, 2020. "Research on Corporate Sustainability: Review and Directions for Future Research," Foundations and Trends(R) in Accounting, now publishers, vol. 14(2), pages 73-127, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:fntacc:1400000061
    DOI: 10.1561/1400000061
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/1400000061
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1561/1400000061?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sandra A. Waddock & Samuel B. Graves, 1997. "The Corporate Social Performance–Financial Performance Link," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(4), pages 303-319, April.
    2. Navarro, Peter, 1988. "Why Do Corporations Give to Charity?," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 61(1), pages 65-93, January.
    3. Paolo Perego & Ans Kolk, 2012. "Multinationals’ Accountability on Sustainability: The Evolution of Third-party Assurance of Sustainability Reports," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 110(2), pages 173-190, October.
    4. George Serafeim, 2018. "Investors as Stewards of the Commons?," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 30(2), pages 8-17, June.
    5. Paula A. Tkac, 2006. "One proxy at a time : pursuing social change through shareholder proposals," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 91(Q 3), pages 1-20.
    6. George Serafeim, 2015. "Integrated Reporting and Investor Clientele," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 27(2), pages 34-51, June.
    7. David A. Waldman & Donald S. Siegel & Mansour Javidan, 2006. "Components of CEO Transformational Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 1703-1725, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Katarzyna Anna Bilicka & Elisa Casi & Carol Seregni & Barbara Stage, 2021. "Tax Strategy Disclosure: A Greenwashing Mandate?," CESifo Working Paper Series 9030, CESifo.
    2. Narula, Radhika & Rao, Purnima & Kumar, Satish & Matta, Rahul, 2024. "ESG scores and firm performance- evidence from emerging market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 1170-1184.
    3. Massimiliano Celli & Simona Arduini & Tommaso Beck, 2024. "Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and His Future Application Scenario for Italian SMEs," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 19(4), pages 1-44, July.
    4. Lu Xu & Li Xie & Shengjun Mei & Jianli Hao & Yuqian Zhang & Yu Song, 2024. "Corporate Sustainability Reporting and Stakeholders’ Interests: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-19, April.
    5. Downar, Benedict & Ernstberger, Jürgen & Reichelstein, Stefan & Schwenen, Sebastian & Zaklan, Aleksandar, 2021. "The impact of carbon disclosure mandates on emissions and financial operating performance," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 26(3), pages 1137-1175.
    6. Jake Thomas & Wentao Yao & Frank Zhang & Wei Zhu, 2022. "Meet, beat, and pollute," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 1038-1078, September.
    7. Paulina Kubera, 2023. "Behavioural Insights in Corporate Sustainability Research: A Review and Future Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-15, September.
    8. Laura Illia & Elena Alberti & Grazia Murtarelli & Elanor Colleoni, 2022. "Being best in the world or best for the world? Fostering CSR cooperative behaviors through communication," Italian Journal of Marketing, Springer, vol. 2022(2), pages 173-202, June.
    9. Alper Darendeli & Kelvin K. F. Law & Michael Shen, 2022. "Green new hiring," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 986-1037, September.
    10. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    11. S. Taniguchi, Kazuhiro, 2022. "Why Fukushima? A diachronic and multilevel comparative institutional analysis of a nuclear disaster," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    12. Laura Tolettini & Eleonora Di Maria, 2023. "Structuring and Measuring Environmental Sustainability in the Steel Sector: A Single Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-26, April.
    13. Charl de Villiers & Jing Jia & Zhongtian Li, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility: A review of empirical research using Thomson Reuters Asset4 data," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(4), pages 4523-4568, December.
    14. Nataliya A. Kazakova & Thi L. Doan, 2021. "Model on Stakeholder Risks Disclosure in Corporate Reporting for Oil and Gas Companies in the Republic of Vietnam," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 11(6), pages 206-211.
    15. Nicolás Magner & Jaime F. Lavín & Mauricio A. Valle, 2022. "Modeling Synchronization Risk among Sustainable Exchange Trade Funds: A Statistical and Network Analysis Approach," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(19), pages 1-30, October.
    16. Tiantian Wang & Kamisah Ismail & Khairul Saidah Abas Azmi, 2022. "The Rise of MCS and EMA in the Sustainable Field: A Systematic Literature Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-12, December.
    17. Peter Fiechter & Jörg‐Markus Hitz & Nico Lehmann, 2022. "Real Effects of a Widespread CSR Reporting Mandate: Evidence from the European Union's CSR Directive," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(4), pages 1499-1549, September.
    18. Andrea Stübner & Svenja Jarchow, 2023. "Family oblige: the link between CSR and succession intention in small and medium family firms," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 93(3), pages 389-431, April.
    19. Kerry A. Humphreys & Ken T. Trotman, 2022. "Judgment and decision making research on CSR reporting in the COVID‐19 pandemic environment," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(1), pages 739-765, March.
    20. Sudipta Basu & Justin Vitanza & Wei Wang & Xiaoyu Ross Zhu, 2022. "Walking the walk? Bank ESG disclosures and home mortgage lending," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 27(3), pages 779-821, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kim, Taeyeon & Kim, Hyun-Dong & Park, Kwangwoo, 2020. "CEO inside debt holdings and CSR activities," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 508-529.
    2. Jeong, Nara & Kim, Nari & Arthurs, Jonathan D., 2021. "The CEO’s tenure life cycle, corporate social responsibility and the moderating role of the CEO’s political orientation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 464-474.
    3. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    4. Claude Francoeur & Faten Lakhal & Safa Gaaya & Itidel Ben Saad, 2021. "How do powerful CEOs influence corporate environmental performance?," Post-Print hal-02976839, HAL.
    5. Abhijith G. Acharya & David Gras & Ryan Krause, 2022. "Socially Oriented Shareholder Activism Targets: Explaining Activists’ Corporate Target Selection Using Corporate Opportunity Structures," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(2), pages 307-323, June.
    6. Ioannis Ioannou & George Serafeim, 2015. "The impact of corporate social responsibility on investment recommendations: Analysts' perceptions and shifting institutional logics," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7), pages 1053-1081, July.
    7. Hasan, Iftekhar & Karavitis, Panagiotis & Kazakis, Pantelis & Leung, Woon Sau, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Profit Shifting," MPRA Paper 91580, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Hanwen Chen & Siyi Liu & Xin Liu & Daoguang Yang, 2022. "Adversity Tries Friends: A Multilevel Analysis of Corporate Philanthropic Response to the Local Spread of COVID-19 in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 177(3), pages 585-612, May.
    9. Daewoung Choi & Hyunju Shin & Kyoungmi Kim, 2023. "CEO’s Childhood Experience of Natural Disaster and CSR Activities," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(2), pages 281-306, November.
    10. Jian Zhang & Dongmin Kong & Ji Wu, 2018. "Doing Good Business by Hiring Directors with Foreign Experience," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(3), pages 859-876, December.
    11. Wang, Kun Tracy & Kartika, Fiki & Wang, Wanbin Walter & Luo, Guqiang, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility, investor protection, and the cost of equity: Evidence from East Asia," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    12. Gangi, Francesco & Meles, Antonio & Monferrà, Stefano & Mustilli, Mario, 2020. "Does corporate social responsibility help the survivorship of SMEs and large firms?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    13. Chi, Wuchun & Wu, Shing-Jen & Zheng, Zhen, 2020. "Determinants and consequences of voluntary corporate social responsibility disclosure: Evidence from private firms," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(6).
    14. Chun Keung Hoi & Qiang Wu & Hao Zhang, 2018. "Community Social Capital and Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 647-665, October.
    15. Hongmin Chun & Jaeyon Chu & Yongsuk Yun, 2019. "The Impact of Corporate Charitable Contributions on Audit Hours," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-12, February.
    16. Ramzi Benkraiem & Taher Hamza & Faten Lakhal & Hamza Nizar, 2022. "Family control, institutional cross holding and corporate social responsibility," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 42(4), pages 2231-2247.
    17. Shafat Maqbool, 2019. "Does corporate social responsibility lead to superior financial performance? Evidence from BSE 100 index," DECISION: Official Journal of the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, Springer;Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, vol. 46(3), pages 219-231, September.
    18. Marko Reimer & Sebastiaan Doorn & Mariano L. M. Heyden, 2018. "Unpacking Functional Experience Complementarities in Senior Leaders’ Influences on CSR Strategy: A CEO–Top Management Team Approach," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(4), pages 977-995, September.
    19. Debbie Haski‐Leventhal, 2013. "Employee Engagement in CSR: The Case of Payroll Giving in Australia," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 20(2), pages 113-128, March.
    20. Rui Albuquerque & Yrjö Koskinen & Chendi Zhang, 2019. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Risk: Theory and Empirical Evidence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(10), pages 4451-4469, October.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Sustainability; ESG; measurement; accounting; disclosure; management control systems;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:now:fntacc:1400000061. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Lucy Wiseman (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nowpublishers.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.