Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Governance: A Scopus-Based Bibliometric Analysis (2016–2025)

Authors

  • Nor Rahma Rizka Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut
  • Fitra Izzadieny Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut
  • Deafatunnizwa Ulfida Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut
  • Rahmi Nadiar Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut
  • Diva Trimuliani Politeknik Negeri Tanah Laut

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21009/wahana.21.013

Keywords:

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), Corporate Governance, Bibliometric Analysis, VOSviewer, Sustainability

Abstract

This study maps the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Governance research through a bibliometric analysis of 1,826 Scopus-indexed journal articles published between 2016 and 2025. Using VOSviewer, the study analyzes publication trends, leading authors, highly cited articles, and keyword co-occurrence through network, overlay, and density visualizations. The findings show a significant increase in publications, particularly after 2022, reflecting growing interest in ESG-related governance issues. ESG performance emerged as the dominant theme, closely linked to board characteristics, ESG disclosure, innovation, and sustainable development. Six major thematic clusters were identified, revealing a shift toward digital transformation, green innovation, responsible investment, and ethical issues such as greenwashing and tax avoidance. These findings offer insights into current trends and future directions for ESG and Corporate Governance research.

Penelitian ini bertujuan memetakan struktur intelektual dan perkembangan tematik kajian Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) dan Corporate Governance melalui analisis bibliometrik terhadap 1.826 artikel jurnal terindeks Scopus yang diterbitkan pada periode 2016–2025. Analisis dilakukan menggunakan VOSviewer untuk mengkaji tren publikasi, penulis terproduktif, artikel dengan sitasi tertinggi, serta kemunculan kata kunci melalui visualisasi network, overlay, dan density. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan peningkatan publikasi yang signifikan, terutama setelah tahun 2022, yang mencerminkan meningkatnya perhatian terhadap isu ESG dan tata kelola perusahaan. ESG performance muncul sebagai tema penelitian yang paling dominan dan berkaitan erat dengan karakteristik dewan, pengungkapan ESG, inovasi, dan pembangunan berkelanjutan. Analisis juga mengidentifikasi enam klaster tematik utama yang menunjukkan pergeseran fokus menuju transformasi digital, green innovation, responsible investment, serta isu etis seperti greenwashing dan tax avoidance. Temuan ini memberikan wawasan mengenai tren penelitian terkini dan arah pengembangan studi ESG dan Corporate Governance di masa mendatang.

References

Aguilera, R., Duran, P., Heugens, P. P. M. A. R., Sauerwald, S., Turturea, R., Vanessen, M., & States, U. (2021). State ownership , political ideology , and firm performance around the world. Journal of World Business, 56(1), 101113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2020.101113

Alareeni, B. A., & Hamdan, A. (2020). ESG impact on performance of US S & P 500-listed fi rms. Corporate Governance, 20(7), 1409–1428. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2020-0258

Albitar, K., Hussainey, K., & Kolade, N. et al. (2020). ESG disclosure and firm performance before and after IR: The moderating role of governance mechanisms. International Journal of Accounting & Information Management, 28(3), 429–444. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijaim-09-2019-0108

Alkaraan, F., Elmarzouky, M., Hussainey, K., Venkatesh, V. G., & Elmarzouky, M. (2024). Technological Forecasting & Social Change Sustainable strategic investment decision-making practices in UK companies : The influence of governance mechanisms on synergy between industry 4 . 0 and circular economy. Technological Forecasting & Social Change, 187(July 2022), 122187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122187

Alsayegh, M. F., & Rahman, R. A. (2020). Corporate Economic , Environmental , and Social Sustainability Performance Transformation through ESG Disclosure. Sustainability, 12, 3910. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12093910

Arayssi, M., Dah, M., & Jizi, M. (2016). Women on boards, sustainability reporting and firm performance. Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 7(3), 376–401. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-07-2015-0055 JEL

Au, A. K. M., Yang, Y. F., Wang, H., Chen, R. H., & Zheng, L. J. (2023). Mapping the landscape of ESG strategies: A bibliometric review and recommendations for future research. Sustainability, 15(24), 16592.

Bear, S., Rahman, N., & Post, C. (2010). The Impact of Board Diversity and Gender Composition on Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Reputation. Journal of Business Ethics, 97(2), 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0505-2

Berg, F., Ko, J. F., & Rigobon, R. (2022). Aggregate Confusion: The Divergence of ESG Ratings*. Review of Finance, May, 1315–1344. https://doi.org/10.1093/rof/rfac033

Bolourian, S., Angus, A., & Alinaghian, L. (2021). The impact of corporate governance on corporate social responsibility at the board-level: A critical assessment. Journal of Cleaner Production, 291, 125752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125752

Buallay, A. (2019). Is sustainability reporting (ESG) associated with performance? Evidence from the European banking sector. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 30(1), 98–115. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-12-2017-0149

Campbell, J. L. (2007). Why would corporations behave in socially responsible ways? An institutional theory of corporate social responsibility. Academy of Management Review, 32(3), 946–967. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.2007.25275684

Cho, C. H., Laine, M., Roberts, R. W., & Rodrigue, M. (2015). Accounting , Organizations and Society Organized hypocrisy , organizational façades , and sustainability reporting. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 40, 78–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2014.12.003

Christensen, D. M., Serafeim, G., & Sikochi, A. (2022). Why is corporate virtue in the eye of the beholder? The case of ESG ratings. The Accounting Review, 97(1), 147–175. https://doi.org/10.2308/TAR-2019-0506

Claessens, S., & Yurtoglu, B. B. (2013). Corporate governance in emerging markets : A survey ☆. Emerging Markets Review, 15, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ememar.2012.03.002

Cucari, N., Esposito De Falco, S., & Orlando, B. (2018). Diversity of Board of Directors and Environmental Social Governance: Evidence from Italian Listed Companies. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 25(3), 250–266.

De Villiers, C., Hsiao, P.-C. K., & Maroun, W. (2020). The Routledge Handbook of Integrated Reporting,. Routledge.

DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147–160. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2095101%0AAccessibility

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Marc, W. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis : An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133(March), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Drempetic, S., Klein, C., & Zwergel, B. (2020). The Influence of Firm Size on the ESG Score : Corporate Sustainability Ratings Under Review. Journal of Business Ethics, 167(2), 333–360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-019-04164-1

Eccles, R. G., Ioannou, I., Serafeim, G., Eccles, R. G., & Serafeim, G. (2014). The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance The Impact of Corporate Sustainability on Organizational Processes and Performance. Management Science, 60(11), 2835–2857. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984

Eccles, R. G., & Klimenko, S. (2019). The investor revolution. Harvard Business Review, 97(3), 106–116.

Fan, Y., Wang, R., Alkaraan, F., & Wu, W. (2025). Decoding greenwashing practices toward sustainability : The synergistic influence of governance structure and policy-derive rhetorical strategies. Energy Economics, 148(May), 108632. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2025.108632

Fatemi, A., Glaum, M., & Kaiser, S. (2018). ESG performance and fi rm value : The moderating role of disclosure. Global Finance Journal, 38, 45–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfj.2017.03.001

Freeman, R. E. (1984). Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Pitman.

Friede, G., Busch, T., & Bassen, A. (2015). ESG and financial performance: aggregated evidence from more than 2000 empirical studies. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment ISSN:, 5(4), 210–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2015.1118917

García-Sánchez, I.-M., Hussain, N., Martínez-Ferrero, J., & Ruiz-Barbadillo, E. (2019). Impact of disclosure and assurance quality of corporate sustainability reports on access to finance. Corp Soc Resp Env Ma, 26(January), 832–848. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.1724

Gillan, S. L., Koch, A., & Starks, L. T. (2021). Firms and social responsibility : A review of ESG and CSR research in corporate finance. Journal of Corporate Finance, 66(January), 101889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcorpfin.2021.101889

Haque, F. (2017). The effects of board characteristics and sustainable compensation policy on carbon performance of UK fi rms. The British Accounting Review, 49(3), 347–364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2017.01.001

Hussain, N., Khan, S. A., Nguyen, D. K., Stocchetti, A., & Corbet, S. (2023). Board-level governance and corporate social responsibility: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Economic Surveys, 3–31. https://doi.org/10.1111/joes.12603

Izzadieny, F., Rizka, N. R., Ulfida, D., Hidhayati, A. T., & Nadiar, R. (2025). Analisis Perbandingan Penerapan ESG Antara Bank Syariah dan Bank Konvensional Di Indonesia: Sebuah Analisis Empiris. WORKSHEET : Jurnal Akuntansi, 4(2), 124–142.

Izzadieny, F., Ulfida, D., Rizka, N. R., Bastian, M., & Alfikri, R. (2025). Integration of Sharia Compliance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) on Financial Performance: An Emppirical Study Across Sharia and Conventional Banks. Ekonomika Syariah: Journal of Economic Studies, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.30983/es.v9i2.10262

Jensen, M., & Meckling, W. (1976). Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs, and ownership structure. The Economic Nature of the Firm: A Reader, Third Edition, 283–303. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511817410.023

Khan, M., Serafeim, G., & Yoon, A. (2016). Corporate sustainability: First evidence on materiality. Accounting Review, 91(6), 1697–1724. https://doi.org/10.2308/accr-51383

Lee, M. T., & Raschke, R. L. (2023). Stakeholder legitimacy in firm greening and financial performance: What about greenwashing temptations? Journal of Business Research, 155, 113393. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113393

Li, Y., Gong, M., Zhang, X., & Koh, L. (2018). The impact of environmental , social , and governance disclosure on fi rm value : The role of CEO power. The British Accounting Review, 50(1), 60–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2017.09.007

Mahoney, L. S., Thorne, L., Cecil, L., & LaGore, W. (2013). A research note on standalone corporate social responsibility reports: Signaling or greenwashing? Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 24(4–5), 350–359.

Michelon, G., Pilonato, S., & Ricceri, F. (2015). Critical Perspectives on Accounting CSR reporting practices and the quality of disclosure : An empirical analysis. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 33, 59–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2014.10.003

Miniaoui, Z., Chibani, F., & Hussainey, K. (2022). Corporate governance and CSR disclosure: International evidence for the period 2006–2016. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 15(398). https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm15090398

Muhammad, H., & Tadele, H. (2026). Corporate governance and ESG controversies: a quantile regression approach. Corporate Governance, 26(3), 596–615. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-11-2024-0616

Naveed, K., Farooq, M. B., & Zahir-ul-hassan, M. K. (2025). AI adoption , ESG disclosure quality and sustainability committee heterogeneity : evidence from Chinese companies. Meditari Accountancy Research, 33(2), 708–732. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-02-2024-2374

Octavio, M. F. R., Setiawan, D., Aryani, Y. A., & Arifin, T. (2025). Corporate Governance as a Driver: Enhancing ESG Performance in ASEAN Companies. Bus Strat Dev, 8, e70104. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70104

OECD. (2023). Subnational governments are key economic and social actors. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/subnational-finance-and-investment.html#key-messages

Raimo, N., Mariani, M., Caragnano, A., & Zito, M. (2021). Extending the benefits of ESG disclosure : The effect on the cost of debt financing. Corp Soc Responsib Environ Manag, January, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/csr.2134

Rao, K., & Tilt, C. (2016). Board Composition and Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Diversity, Gender, Strategy and Decision Making. Journal of Business Ethics, 138(2), 327–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2613-5

Rininda, B. P., Rizka, R., Amelia, N., Suasri, E., Yakin, N., & Ade, M. S. (2025). The Moderating Role of Innovation Capability in the Relationship Between Corporate Social Responsibility and MSME Performance: A Case Study of PT Arutmin Indonesia Site Asamasam. International Journal of Economics Development Research, 6(5), 2025–2995. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.37385/ijedr.v6i6.9125

Rizka, N. R., & Putri, D. (2025). Corporate social responsibility and corporate governance. Fokus Bisnis: Media Pengkajian Manajemen Dan Akuntansi, 24(1), 87–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0270.2009.01940.x

Rizka, N. R., Rahayu, R. M., & Soegiarto, Y. (2022). Board of Director Diversity in †œBhinneka Tunggal Ika†Concept. Jurnal Akuntansi Dan Pajak, 23(1), 1–13.

Rizka, N. R., Rininda, B. P., Suasri, E., Amelia, N., Wawan, E., & Yakin, N. (2025). Enhancing CSR Effectiveness through Financial Literacy : A Moderated Analysis on Corporate Image in PT Arutmin Indonesia Site Asamasam. International Journal of Research in Vocational Studies (IJRVOCAS), 5(2), 50–58. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.53893/ijrvocas.v5i2.439

Shaukat, A., Qiu, Y., & Trojanowski, G. (2016). Board Attributes, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy, and Corporate Environmental and Social Performance. J Bus Ethics, 135, 569–585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2460-9

Shleifer, A., & Vishny, R. W. (1997). A survey of corporate governance. Journal of Finance, 52(2), 737–783. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.1997.tb04820.x

Suchman, M. C. (1995). Managing legitimacy: Strategic and Innovative Approaches. Academy of Management Review, 20(3), 571–610. http://www.downloadmaghaleh.com/wp-content/uploads/edd/9817.pdf

Tan, Y., & Zhu, Z. (2022). Technology in Society The effect of ESG rating events on corporate green innovation in China : The mediating role of financial constraints and managers ’ environmental awareness. Technology in Society, 68, 101906. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101906

Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Velte, P. (2017). Does ESG performance have an impact on financial performance? Evidence from Germany. Journal of Global Responsibility, 8(2), 169–178.

Yu, E. P., Luu, B. Van, & Huirong, C. (2020). Research in International Business and Finance Greenwashing in environmental , social and governance disclosures. Research in International Business and Finance, 52(September 2019), 101192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ribaf.2020.101192

Downloads

Published

2026-07-29

How to Cite

Rizka, N. R., Izzadieny, F., Ulfida, D., Nadiar, R., & Trimuliani, D. (2026). Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Corporate Governance: A Scopus-Based Bibliometric Analysis (2016–2025). Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Akuntansi, 21(1), 35–59. https://doi.org/10.21009/wahana.21.013