Corporate Sustainability Reimagined: A Bibliometric–Systematic Literature Review of Governance, Technology, and Stakeholder‐Driven Strategies for SDG Impact

Muhammad Salman Shabbir

Business Strategy and the Environment, 2025, vol. 34, issue 7, 9203-9222

Abstract: Due to the growing expectation that businesses incorporate the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the UN into their governance, strategy, and operations, corporate sustainability has become a multifaceted necessity. Although the amount of study in this field is increasing, a comprehensive understanding of its development is constrained by disjointed approaches and a lack of coherence across theoretical, methodological, and thematic aspects. Bibliometric–systematic literature review (B‐SLR) of 267 peer‐reviewed articles published from 2015 to 2023 fills this gap by collecting both qualitative and quantitative trends. The study finds a three‐phase evolutionary trajectory that signifies the transition from normative CSR narratives to strategic, innovation‐driven sustainability models: emergence (2015–2017), consolidation (2018–2020), and institutionalization (2021–2023). ESG transparency, stakeholder governance, digital sustainability, and circular economy practices are important research areas that represent the increasing integration of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things. The report also identifies prominent academics, publications, and national partnerships, all of which are backed by bibliographic coupling and co‐citation analyses. Based on the theories of stakeholders, resource‐based views (RBVs), institutions, and legitimacy, the results lead to a conceptual framework that summarizes the factors that influence corporate sustainability. Through cross‐sectoral and multistakeholder engagement, the study provides practical insights for improving governance that is aligned with the SDGs, institutional accountability, and innovation‐led sustainability solutions.

Date: 2025
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