Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the interactions between business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the focus of the marketing and management disciplines. Accordingly, a search conducted in the Web of Science database yielded a dataset of 757 studies published between 1987 and 2025. These publications were analyzed using the bibliometric analysis method. The publications were examined based on distribution by Web of Science categories, annual publication trends, distribution by publication type, distribution by Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), country/region distribution, co-word analysis, co-authorship analysis, country-level citation analysis, and author-level citation analysis. The findings were then discussed within the framework of the sub-disciplines of marketing and management. According to the results of the study, publications have gained momentum since 2005. In terms of country/region distribution, the United States ranks first in publication output. Regarding alignment with the SDGs, the most frequently addressed goal was “Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.” This analysis highlights the growing importance of ethics and CSR in the social sciences, while also revealing developments and gaps in literature.

Keywords

• Business Ethics
• Strategic Management
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Bibliometric Analysis

İşletme Etiği ve Kurumsal Sosyal Sorumluluk: Bibliyometrik Bir Analiz

Öz

Bu çalışma, işletme etiği ve kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk (KSS) konularının etkileşimlerini pazarlama ve yönetim disiplinleri odağında incelemektedir. Bu doğrultuda Web of Science veritabanında yapılan taramada 1987-2025 yılları arasında toplam 757 adet çalışmadan oluşan veri seti elde edilmiştir. Bu yayınlar bibliyometrik analiz yöntemiyle incelenmiştir. Yayınlar Web of Science kategorilerine göre dağılım, yıllara göre yayın sayısı, yayın türüne göre yayın dağılımı, Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçlarına göre dağılım, ülke-bölge dağılımı; ortak kelime analizi, ortak yazarlık analizi, ülkelere göre atıf analizi ve yazarlara göre atıf analizi kriterlerine göre incelenmiştir. Ardından elde edilen bulgular işletmenin pazarlama ve yönetim alt disiplinleri ekseninde tartışılmıştır. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre, yayınlar 2005 yılı sonrası hız kazanmıştır. Ülke-bölge dağılımına bakıldığında en çok yayının Amerika'dan çıktığı görülmektedir. Çalışmaların Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Amaçları ile uyumu incelendiğinde ise en çok ele alınan hedefin “Sanayi, Yenilikçilik ve Altyapı” olduğu görülmüştür. Bu analiz, etik ve KSS konularının sosyal bilimlerdeki artan önemini vurgularken, literatürdeki gelişmeleri ve boşlukları da ortaya koymaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• İşletme Etiği
• Stratejik Yönetim
• Kurumsal Sosyal Sorumluluk
• Bibliyometrik Analiz

Kaynakça

1. Aguinis, H., ve Glavas, A. (2012). What We Know and Don’t Know About Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review and Research Agenda. Journal Of Management, 38(4), 932-968.
2. Attig, N., El Ghoul, S., Guedhami, O., ve Suh, J. (2013). Corporate Social Responsibility and Credit Ratings. Journal of Business Ethics, 117(4), 679-694.
3. Aytekin, I. (2022). Kariyer Alanının Sosyolojisi: Ortak Yazarlık Analizi ile Bilimsel Araştırma İş Birliklerinin Araştırılması. Üçüncü Sektör Sosyal Ekonomi Dergisi, 57(3), 2232-2253.
4. Bahar, B. (2019). Sosyal Öğrenme Kuramı ve Sosyal Değişim Kuramı Perspektifinden Etik Liderlik. Balkan Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 8(16), 237-242.
5. Carroll, A. B. (1991). The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4), 39-48.
6. Cook, D. A., ve Bordage, G. (2016). Twelve Tips On Writing Abstracts and Titles: How to Get People to Use and Cite Your Work. Medical Teacher, 38(11), 1100-1104.
7. Crane, A., ve Matten, D. (2016). Business Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(1), 5-15.
8. Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., ve Lim, W. M. (2021). How to Conduct a Bibliometric Analysis: An Overview and Guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285-296.

9. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., ve Ferrell, L. (2019). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. Journal of Business Ethics, 159(2), 223-245.
10. Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman Publishing.
11. He, H., ve Harris, L. (2020). The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Corporate Social Responsibility and Marketing Philosophy. Journal of Business Research, 116, 176-182.
12. Jamali, D. (2008). A Stakeholder Approach to Corporate Social Responsibility: A Fresh Perspective into Theory and Practice. Journal of Business Ethics, 82(1), 213-231.
13. Joyner, B. E., ve Payne, D. (2002). Evolution And Implementation: A Study of Values, Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Business Ethics, 41(4), 297-311.
14. Kaptein, M. (2009). Ethics Programs and Ethical Culture: A Next Step In Unraveling Their Multi-Faceted Relationship. Journal of Business Ethics, 89(2), 261-281.
15. Kotek, K., Schoenberg, A. M., ve Schwand, C. (2018). CSR Behavior: Between Altruism and Profit Maximization. In Innovation Management and Corporate Social Responsibility: Social Responsibility As Competitive Advantage (pp. 159-169). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
16. Laplume, A. O., Sonpar, K., & Litz, R. A. (2008). Stakeholder Theory: Reviewing a Theory That Moves Us. Journal of Management, 34(6), 1152-1189.
17. Lim, W. M. (2017). Inside the sustainable consumption theoretical toolbox: Critical concepts for sustainability, consumption, and marketing. Journal of Business Research, 78, 69-80.
18. Mack, C. (2012). How to Write a Good Scientific Paper: Title, Abstract, and Keywords. Journal of Micro/Nanolithography, MEMS, and MOEMS, 11(2), 020101. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.JMM.11.2.020101
19. Meseguer-Sánchez, V., Gálvez-Sánchez, F. J., López-Martínez, G., ve Molina-Moreno, V. (2021). Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. A Bibliometric Analysis of Their Interrelations. Sustainability, 13(4), 1636.
20. Mukherjee, D., Lim, W. M., Kumar, S., ve Donthu, N. (2022). Guidelines For Advancing Theory and Practice Through Bibliometric Research. Journal of Business Research, 148, 101-115.
21. Özmen Uysal, Ö. (2010). Business Ethics Research with an Accounting Focus: A Bibliometric Analysis From 1988 to 2007. Journal of Business Ethics, 93, 137-160.
22. Palazzo, G., ve Scherer, A. G. (2006). Corporate Legitimacy as Deliberation: A Communicative Framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 66(1), 71-88.
23. Pottier, P., Lagisz, M., Burke, S., Drobniak, S. M., Downing, P. A., Macartney, E. L., ve Nakagawa, S. (2024). Title, Abstract and Keywords: A Practical Guide to Maximize the Visibility and Impact of Academic Papers. Proceedings B, 291(2027), 20241222.
24. Shamir, R. (2008). The Age of Responsibilization: On Market-Embedded Morality. Economy and Society, 37(1), 1-19.
25. Shore, L. M., Cleveland, J. N., & Sanchez, D. (2018). Inclusive Workplaces: A Review and Model. Human Resource Management Review, 28(2), 176-189.
26. Sumlin, C., Hough, C., ve Green, K. (2021). Impact of Ethics Environment, Organizational Commitment, and Job Satisfaction on Organizational Performance. Journal of Business and Management, 27(1), 53-78.
27. Vallaster, C., Kraus, S., Lindahl, J. M. M., ve Nielsen, A. (2019). Ethics and Entrepreneurship: A Bibliometric Study and Literature Review. Journal of Business Research, 99, 226-237.
28. Van Eck, N., ve Waltman, L. (2010). Software Survey: Vosviewer, a Computer Program for Bibliometric Mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523-538.
29. Wagner, T., Lutz, R. J., ve Weitz, B. A. (2009). Corporate Hypocrisy: Overcoming the Threat of Inconsistent Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions. Journal of Marketing, 73(6), 77-91.
30. Whetten, D. A. (1989). What Constitutes a Theoretical Contribution?. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 490-495.
31. White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D. J. (2019). How to SHIFT Consumer Behaviors to Be More Sustainable: A Literature Review and Guiding Framework. Journal of Marketing, 83(3), 22-49.
32. Windsor, D. (2006). Corporate Social Responsibility: Three Key Approaches. Journal of Management Studies, 43(1), 93-114.
33. Zainuldin, M. H., & Lui, T. K. (2022). A Bibliometric Analysis of CSR in the Banking Industry: A Decade Study Based on Scopus Scientific Mapping. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 40(1), 1-26.
34. Zhao, L., Yang, M. M., Wang, Z., ve Michelson, G. (2023). Trends in the Dynamic Evolution of Corporate Social Responsibility and Leadership: A Literature Review and Bibliometric Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 182(1), 135-157.