Collaborative and Reciprocal Influences Across Bank and Customer Synergistic Sustainability: Developing a Framework for Sustainable Business Viability

Abstract

Sustainability in banks is now widely recognized as a relationship that grows from a dialogue between banks and customers, especially in developing countries. This paper offers a construct in framing toward mutual accountability in sustainability and managing ESG risks. Backed by stakeholder theory, systems thinking, and corporate social responsibility, the framework presents a six-level ESG co-creation model based on prosocial values of trust, transparency, and mutual goals. Scoping review methodology was used for this framework and guided by the framework of Arksey and O’Malley, extended by Levac et al., and presented in compliance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We conducted an online search within Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and JSTOR for articles between 2010 and 2025 on bank–customer sustainability interactions. Fifty studies that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were reviewed using a structured data extraction. Inductive thematic analysis was performed with validated inter-coder reliability. The study reveals internal and external drivers of sustainability for banks and customers with digital innovation and co-creation as the main enablers. This framework provides actionable recommendations for banks, policymakers, and sustainability champions to create ethical, resilient, and inclusive financial ecosystems.