Providing a Roadmap for Future Research Agenda: A Bibliometric Literature Review of Sustainability Performance Reporting (SPR)

Abstract

The concept of sustainability reporting is now an essential tool through which organisations demonstrate accountability to their stakeholders. The increasing market pressure coupled with the awareness of the consequences of organisations' activities suggests the need for organisations to report their sustainability credentials. Sustainability performance reports should provide adequate information on organisations' social, economic, and environmental performance. However, the current process through which organisations communicate their sustainability performance to stakeholders is questionable and remains a significant concern. This study assessed the current state and direction of research on sustainability performance reporting by conducting a bibliometric literature review of peer-reviewed studies on sustainability performance reporting published between 1987 and 2022. The findings highlight the misconceptions between sustainability and CSR when reporting organisations' sustainability performance. Furthermore, businesses and scholars prioritise reporting instead of communication with stakeholders. The observed lack of engagement with stakeholders indicates that the reported performance may not reflect the impact of business activities on the three dimensions of sustainability. Rather than adopting a one-way information dissemination approach, this study concludes that the desired performance can only be achieved through two-way communication with stakeholders.

Assessing the impact of the sustainable development goals on corporate philanthropy: A study of Canada's leading private sector companies

“…While there has been a noted rise in sustainability reporting and corporate pledges to the SDGs (Whittingham et al, 2023), a discernible disconnect exists between corporate sustainability reporting, corporate sustainability commitments, and actual performance outcomes. This disconnect, characterized by businesses adjusting their public narratives to global sustainability agendas without substantial alterations to their operational behaviors, has been identified in prior research (Abdel‐Meguid et al, 2021; Abeysekera, 2022; Bradford et al, 2017; Grewal & Serafeim, 2020; Hahn & Kühnen, 2013; Khan et al, 2013; Nishitani et al, 2021; Osobajo et al, 2022; van der Waal & Thijssens, 2020b). Our findings parallel these observations and provide further evidence of the stark discrepancy between corporate sustainability proclamations and related financial commitments.…”

“…This disconnect, characterized by businesses adjusting their public narratives to global sustainability agendas without substantial alterations to their operational behaviors, has been identified in prior research (Abdel-Meguid et al, 2021;Abeysekera, 2022;Bradford et al, 2017;Grewal & Serafeim, 2020;Hahn & Kühnen, 2013;Khan et al, 2013;Nishitani et al, 2021;Osobajo et al, 2022;van der Waal & Thijssens, 2020b). Our findings parallel these observations F I G U R E 1 Community investment (CI) spending of NPAT from all firms per year.…”

Sustainability Reporting Ecosystem: A Once-in-a-Lifetime Overhaul during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…One of the possible research venues could be the preparation of a systematic review of current studies in the field of sustainability reporting. In general, Osobajo et al [94] outline, as discussed further, several possible research venues (i.e., assessment of the impact of sustainability reporting on organisations' financial results, the impact of sustainability research on stakeholders' awareness of sustainability issues, etc.). In the field, there is an active call for research that would illuminate various aspects of sustainability reporting for organisations and their conduct, especially regarding the sustainability of organisations.…”

Greenwashing, Sustainability Reporting, and Artificial Intelligence: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Social sustainability incorporates considerations regarding people, communities, and broader society. While clear consensus on the definition of social sustainability is not present, in the context of business it is frequently defined in relation to minimizing the negative, and maximizing the positive impacts of a company's operations [2]. Economic sustainability, in turn, reflects economic progress which is not at the expense of the environment, people, or society [3].…”