Open research questions in Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

What the literature leaves open

• Finally, future studies are recommended to extend the observation period, include firms from other industrial sectors or cross country samples, and examine additional variables such as ESG ratings, corporate financial performance, firm risk, or macroeconomic conditions as mediating or moderating factors to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between ESG performance and optimal portfolio formation. The limitation of study that the scope is limited to the mineral and energy sectors and time scope only for five years with 160 observations data so that the findings may not yet be generalizable in emerging countries others.

  The Influence of Environment, Social and Governance on Optimal Portfolio · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature on the relationships among internal control quality, corporate sustainability, and financial performance. The paper highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of the role of internal controls in shaping financial performance through ESG in emerging markets.

  Strategic Governance for Sustainability: The Role of Internal Controls in Shaping Financial Performance Through ESG in Emerging Markets · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the understanding of the impact of board gender diversity on environmental disclosures. The study highlights the need for a nonlinear approach to examining the relationship between board gender diversity and corporate environmental sustainability disclosures.

  Effects of Board Gender Diversity on Environmental Disclosures in Corporate Sustainability · 2026 · DOI

• The literature has not fully addressed the issue of self-selection bias in environmental reporting. Prior studies have not examined the impact of governance structures on environmental disclosure. The paper identifies a need for supportive policies in mandatory ESG disclosure regimes.

  Selection Bias in ESG Reporting: Implications for Environmental Performance and Firm Valuation · 2026 · DOI

• Prior work has not fully addressed the impact of ESG-related reputational events on market response in the pharmaceutical industry. There is a lack of understanding of the context-dependent nature of ESG materiality in this sector.

  Market Perceptions of ESG Reputational Risk in the US Pharmaceutical Industry · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature on ESG performance and firm value in Ghana. The study notes that prior research has not disaggregated ESG pillars to assess their individual impacts.

  Ghana's Sustainable Corporate Wealth: Environmental, Social and Governance Performances and Firm Value of Publicly Traded Firms · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the literature on the relationship between corporate governance and banks' decisions to adopt fossil fuel divestment policies. It also highlights the need for banks to develop a comprehensive risk management approach to address climate-related and environmental risks.

  Governance Drivers of Fossil Fuel Divestment: Evidence From Global Banks · 2026 · DOI

• Limited attention to examining the process by which a norm in sustainability reporting has emerged among SOEs. Lack of understanding of the dynamics, actors, and conditions that led to sustainability reporting becoming a norm.

  The Production of a Sustainability Reporting Norm in Spanish State‐Owned Enterprises · 2026 · DOI

• The study faces challenges in terms of data availability and quality. The analysis is limited to large Russian firms and may not be generalizable to other contexts. The study highlights the need for more research on the predictors of disclosure breadth and the development of targeted support instruments.

  Corporate Sustainability: Uneven ESG Maturity and Disclosure in Russia · 2026 · DOI

• There is a lack of understanding of the factors that influence ESG disclosure breadth. Prior studies have not examined the variation in ESG disclosure across large Russian firms. There is a need for more research on the predictors of disclosure breadth.

  Corporate Sustainability: Uneven ESG Maturity and Disclosure in Russia · 2026 · DOI

• Regulatory instability is driving rising uncertainty among practitioners. There are concerns about reporting costs, although they appear less pressing. Managing sustainability issues remains a challenge.

  Omnibus I and the Challenges of Sustainability Reporting in the EU · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the anticipated changes in ESG reporting in the European Union and the associated challenges for enterprises. There is a need for a comparative analysis of ESG reporting expectations before and after Omnibus I.

  Omnibus I and the Challenges of Sustainability Reporting in the EU · 2026 · DOI

• Conventional accounting practices do not provide adequate information for environmental management purposes. There is a growing consensus that environmental issues are of increasing concern to many countries around the world.

  Green Accounting Practices and Financial Performance in the Saudi Energy Sector: Do Government Regulations Matter? · 2026 · DOI

• developing new frameworks for analysis and new technologies capable of delivering insight at scale - leveraging natural language processing and artificial intelligence to extract insight from unstructured data sources - exploring the use of machine learning to connect specific ESG indicators to financial performance

  Empowering Corporate Reporting With eXtensible Business Reporting Language to Elevate Sustainable Development: A Natural Resource and Dynamic Capabilities View · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of standardization in ESG disclosure obligations. The inconsistencies of the ESG data industry. The technical difficulties of compiling multiple data sources.

  Empowering Corporate Reporting With eXtensible Business Reporting Language to Elevate Sustainable Development: A Natural Resource and Dynamic Capabilities View · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies challenges in using the taxonomy as a tool for decision-making and disclosure. The research highlights the complexity of using the taxonomy and the need for more ambitious standards. The study notes the uncertainty around the future availability and quality of data.

  Perceived Impact of Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosures on Attractiveness to Investors: Evidence From a Survey of Report Preparers in Poland · 2026 · DOI

• Further research is needed to assess the usability and impact of the taxonomy, - Research on how AM/AO use the taxonomy in their decision-making processes, - Investigation of the challenges and limitations of using the taxonomy

  Perceived Impact of Corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance Disclosures on Attractiveness to Investors: Evidence From a Survey of Report Preparers in Poland · 2026 · DOI

• Companies may face challenges in setting science-based targets, including determining the appropriate target level and ensuring compliance. The study highlights the challenge of corporate greenwashing and the need for companies to set credible climate commitments.

  Impact of Emission Reduction Targets on Corporate Greenwashing: International Empirical Evidence · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the analysis of specific carbon target characteristics. The paper highlights the need for companies to set science-based targets to reduce their exposure to emissions and energy regulations.

  Impact of Emission Reduction Targets on Corporate Greenwashing: International Empirical Evidence · 2026 · DOI

• The complexity of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive's rules and standards. The challenges of implementing the directive and ensuring compliance. The need to balance the precision of the directive's scope and breadth of application with the need for future developments and progressiveness.

  The European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive as Enforced Institutional Change · 2026 · DOI

• The gap in understanding the impact of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive on companies in the EU. The need to analyze the effects of the directive on sustainability reporting practices. The lack of research on the consequences of the directive on the institutional environment in which companies operate.

  The European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive as Enforced Institutional Change · 2026 · DOI

• The risk of tokenism, where women are appointed to fulfill a quota or appease investors, is a challenge. The potential for gender bias among local investors is another challenge. The study highlights the need for companies to ensure that women's contributions are not played down or dismissed.

  Board Gender Diversity and CSR in an Emerging Market: Do Ownership Structure and Female Directors' Attributes Matter? · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of female presence in the boardrooms of Southeast Asian nations and throughout the senior leadership pipeline is a significant challenge. The paper identifies a gap in understanding how ownership structure and female director qualities influence CSR dimensions. The study highlights the need for companies to recruit and promote more women to drive business growth.

  Board Gender Diversity and CSR in an Emerging Market: Do Ownership Structure and Female Directors' Attributes Matter? · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the understanding of the impact of regulatory frameworks on sustainability reporting practices in Nigeria's banking sector. The study finds that prior research has not examined the evolution of sustainability reporting practices in the Nigerian banking sector.

  Sustainability Reporting in the Nigerian Banking Sector: An Institutional Theory Perspective · 2026 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in the literature regarding the impact of sustainable finance on the cost of capital. The paper aims to fill this gap by examining the relationships between sustainable finance and the cost of capital.

  The financial benefits of sustainability: analyzing the impact of sustainable finance on capital costs for London stock exchange firms · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting

• Corporate Social and Financial Performance: A Meta-Analysis · Organization Studies · 2003 · 5,605 citations
• WHAT'S IN A NAME? REPUTATION BUILDING AND CORPORATE STRATEGY. · Academy of Management Journal · 1990 · 4,340 citations
• Corporate Social Responsibility · Business & Society · 1999 · 4,339 citations
• Corporate Social Performance Revisited · Academy of Management Review · 1991 · 3,964 citations
• A RESOURCE-BASED PERSPECTIVE ON CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE AND PROFITABILITY. · Academy of Management Journal · 1997 · 3,772 citations
• Voluntary Nonfinancial Disclosure and the Cost of Equity Capital: The Initiation of Corporate Social Responsibility Reporting · The Accounting Review · 2010 · 3,678 citations
• The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance · Management Science · 2014 · 3,531 citations
• “Implicit” and “Explicit” CSR: A Conceptual Framework for a Comparative Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility · Academy of Management Review · 2008 · 3,439 citations
• Corporate social responsibility and access to finance · Strategic Management Journal · 2013 · 3,287 citations
• THE CORPORATE SOCIAL PERFORMANCE-FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE LINK · Strategic Management Journal · 1997 · 2,795 citations

Most recent work

• Corporate ESG Profiles and Investor Horizons · The Journal of Finance · 2026
• Sustainable development goals, accounting practices and public financial management: A pre and post COVID-19 assessment · The British Accounting Review · 2026
• Strategic Governance for Sustainability: The Role of Internal Controls in Shaping Financial Performance Through ESG in Emerging Markets · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · 2026
• The Performance Effect of Corporate Social Responsibility Investments: Evidence on the Conditional Influence of Stakeholder Pressure · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · 2026
• AI ‐Enabled Environmental Auditing and Sustainability Disclosure: Green Reporting Capability as Mediator and Digital Compliance Culture as Moderator · Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management · 2026
• The corporate sustainability committee and sustainable development goals · Management Decision · 2026
• Effects of Mandatory Carbon Reporting on Greenwashing · The Accounting Review · 2026
• Mapping ESG disclosure and reporting standards in sustainability reports using bibliometric analysis · Discover Sustainability · 2026
• Striking a balance: the crucial role of climate risk disclosure in correcting overvaluation and undervaluation in stock markets · Financial Innovation · 2026
• From battlefield to boardroom: The impact of board chair’s military experience on corporate ESG performance · Journal of Business Research · 2026

Related topics in Business, Management and Accounting