The board of directors characteristics research: A bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and Rstudio

Evolution of research trends in bank performance and sustainability: A bibliometric study

The study aims to systematically map and synthesize the global research landscape on bank performance by employing a bibliometric approach. Using Biblioshiny as an analytical tool, the study conducts a structured extraction and comprehensive analysis of literature indexed in the scopus database. This process results in a final dataset consisting of 2,636 peer-reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2026. The analysis explores key dimensions, including publication trends, influential countries, leading institutions, prominent authors, and high-impact journals, as well as the intellectual and conceptual structures that underpin bank performance research. The findings reveal that the literature has historically been dominated by contributions from advanced economies with well-established financial systems, particularly the United States and several European countries. However, there has been a noticeable increase in contributions from developing and emerging economies in recent years, reflecting a more geographically diverse research landscape. From a conceptual perspective, bank performance research continues to be strongly anchored in core themes such as profitability, financial performance, efficiency, and corporate governance. Nevertheless, thematic evolution and trend analyses indicate a gradual shift toward more multidimensional perspectives. Recent studies increasingly integrate topics such as risk management, sustainability, digital transformation, financial technology (fintech), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations. Furthermore, external shocks most notably the COVID-19 pandemic along with rapid digitalization, have significantly influenced both research directions and methodological approaches. Despite the expanding scope of the literature, the study identifies persistent conceptual fragmentation, particularly in efforts to simultaneously integrate governance, risk, technology, and sustainability within unified analytical frameworks. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution, dominant themes, and emerging research opportunities in bank performance studies, offering valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners aiming to foster more resilient, adaptive, and sustainable banking systems.

Mapping CSR, ESG, financial performance and analyst behavior: a bibliometric review (1993–2023)

This study investigates the evolution and intellectual structure of research linking corporate social responsibility (CSR), environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, financial performance and financial analyst behavior. It aims to identify influential contributions, thematic clusters, and emerging trends in this interdisciplinary field. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using data retrieved from the Scopus database covering the period 1993–2023. The final dataset included 568 documents. Biblioshiny (R package Bibliometrix) was used for descriptive statistics, while VOSviewer was employed for science mapping, including co-citation, co-word, and collaboration networks. Thematic evolution was also examined across two time periods to capture the dynamics of the field. Results reveal that while CSR, ESG, financial performance, and analyst coverage are increasingly studied, the literature remains fragmented. Dominant research streams focus on firm value implications of CSR, ESG disclosure practices and the role of financial analysts in shaping corporate sustainability. Emerging areas include ESG assurance and analyst bias. This study is the first to apply bibliometric methods to examine the intersection of sustainability, financial performance, and analyst behavior. It provides a structured overview of the field, identifies knowledge gaps and proposes a research agenda for scholars, investors and regulators.

Bibliometric mapping of human capital and audit quality: a global perspective

Bibliometric Analysis of the B Corp Movement: Implications for Researchers in Türkiye

This study aims to map the intellectual and conceptual landscape of the B Corp movement within the scientific literature through a quantitative bibliometric analysis. Utilising the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database, the research analyses 108 peer-reviewed articles published between 2007 and 2025. Data visualisation and network analysis, including co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence, were performed using the VOSviewer software. The results show that the number of publications has been growing exponentially since 2011, and the majority of the articles are in the business and management field. A total of 282 keywords were evaluated, and “B Corp” (total link strength: 315) and “Corporate Social Responsibility” (total link strength: 92) were identified as central conceptual pillars. The most cited influential work is by Julie Battilana and Alnoor Ebrahim, with 728 citations. Geographic concentration is still strong in the USA and Europe, but research on emerging economies, such as Türkiye, where there are presently 15 certified B Corps, is critically lacking. The results show a conceptual move from general corporate responsibility to specific issues of 'social impact' and 'employee ownership'. The paper concludes with a research agenda for future research that can help bridge the gap between global norms and local institutional contexts, particularly for researchers in Türkiye.

A bibliometric investigation of research trends in environmental, social, and governance research using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny

This study analyses the development, conceptual foundations, and emerging directions of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) research, with particular emphasis on its contribution to business sustainability and financial performance. It aims to map the dominant research themes in the ESG literature, examine the contributions of prominent authors, institutions, journals, and countries, and identify promising avenues for future research. The study adopts a quantitative bibliometric approach based on secondary data drawn from the Scopus database. A structured screening procedure was applied to peer reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, and review papers published in English between 2015 and 2025 that explicitly addressed ESG concepts, yielding a final sample of 2,878 publications from 607 journals. Bibliometric indicators, including authorship patterns, citation structures, institutional and country contributions, journal sources, and keyword co occurrences, were examined using VOSviewer and R Studio (Biblioshiny). The findings indicate significant expansion and diversification of ESG research over the study period, organised around six core thematic clusters: sustainable development, business values, corporate social responsibility, ESG disclosure, ESG investment, and corporate strategy. The study identifies the most influential contributors and sources shaping ESG scholarship and points to growing research opportunities in the strategic and financial integration of ESG factors.

Determinants of sustainability reporting: the role of company size-a bibliometric analysis

Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent European regulation on sustainability, non-financial reporting has become a critical tool for companies and for corporate transparency. This study examines the role of company size as a determinant of the quality of ESG reporting and examines the interdependencies between financial performance indicators and transparency. This aim is to identify the intellectual structure, chronological development, and main thematic group that define this field within the Web of Science database. This study adopts a bibliometric analysis of a composite sample of primary research articles. The analysis was conducted using keywords co-occurrence and network analysis techniques with the help of Vosviewer. The data was segmented to highlight the distribution across Web of Science and the trends in the number of publications from 2020 to 2026. We conducted a systematic search of the Web of Science database using the following keywords: "sustainability reporting," "size," and "firm size", resulting in 469 articles. As a result, the temporal analysis indicates an exponential increase in interest. The bibliometric mapping also reveals several thematic clusters focused on ESG disclosure, corporate governance, transparency, and firm characteristics, highlighting the increasing importance of company size as a determinant of sustainability reporting practices. This article provided an overview of the intellectual structure of literature on sustainability reporting, highlighting the critical role that firm size plays in ensuring the quality and transparency of non-financial information.