Exploring the Knowledge Structure and Hotspot Evolution of Greenwashing: A Visual Analysis Based on Bibliometrics

Wei Wang, Dechao Ma (), Fengzhi Wu (), Mengxin Sun, Shuangqing Xu, Qiuyue Hua and Ziyuan Sun ()
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Wei Wang: School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Dechao Ma: School of Economics and Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150000, China
Fengzhi Wu: School of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Mengxin Sun: School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Shuangqing Xu: School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Qiuyue Hua: School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
Ziyuan Sun: School of Economics and Management, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-35

Abstract: As environmental protection changes from a purely social benefit to a social benefit mixed with an economic gain, the marketing strategy practice of corporate greenwashing is starting to become a popular research topic. However, the total number of existing review articles on greenwashing research is relatively small, and there are deficiencies in quantitative research and generalizability, scientificity and systematization. This paper attempts to bridge these gaps by combining systems theory with bibliometrics and using visualization techniques to analyze the evolution of knowledge structures and hotspots in greenwashing. Based on this, this paper takes the literature on greenwashing in the Web of Science core set database from 2004–2022 as a research sample and uses CiteSpace 5.8.R3 to conduct a descriptive statistical analysis and carve a visual map to reveal the evolution pattern of research in the field of greenwashing in a comprehensive and systematic way. The findings show that greenwashing research is prevalent in developed countries and continues to attract more scholars globally, focusing on the interpretation of greenwashing definitions and concepts, influencing factors, consequences and governance models. Finally, this paper introduces the system governance theory and improves organizational isomorphism theory to further generalize the existing research framework on greenwashing and provides an outlook on the future direction of greenwashing research from three perspectives: greening screening research, impact research and governance research.

Keywords: greenwashing; bibliometric analysis; systems governance; marketing ethics; corporate social responsibility; CiteSpace (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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