Corporate Social Responsibility actions and the economic sustainability of Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: a systematic literature review

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify the scientific activity dealing with corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions and the economic sustainability of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) during 2000-2023. We analyze the evolution of conceptual, intellectual, and social aspects through a systematic literature review using the PRISMA methodology. Data analysis was carried out using the tools Bibliometrix and Biblioshiny on a sample of 62 academic articles indexed in the Web of Science (WoS) database. Results indicate that the scientific activity in this field has grown significantly, being 2023 the year with the highest number of publications, while researchers have been classified into five areas:1-Corporate Social Responsibility, 2-Strategy, 3-Perceptions, 4-Leadership, and 5-Financial performance. Other subject areas continue to be of great interest for research, such as "causal and performance indicators", "disclosure, management and sustainability", "context and CSR", and "perspectives models and determinants".