Producción científica de la contabilidad social: una revisión sistemática de la literatura

In today’s globalized world, where commercial and societal demands continue to rise, research has traced the historical evolution of accounting. In response to environmental shifts and changes in corporate social behavior, new studies have emerged addressing social challenges while also reinforcing and clarifying the role of accounting and its social responsibility. This review seeks to understand how accounting has evolved and how companies turn to social accounting in light of global environmental and social demands. Adopting a documentary research approach and using Bibliometrix for data analysis, academic databases such as Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) were consulted. A total of 2,455 studies published over the past 45 years (1979–2022) were analyzed. This process helped define key concepts in social accounting and, through descriptive, interpretative, and constructive phases, enabled a comprehensive systematization of the literature. The results reveal how historical events shape current social, economic, and environmental realities. The United States and the United Kingdom lead research in social accounting, setting standards for companies to pursue not only shareholder profits but also broader social and environmental impacts. In this regard, the main contribution of social accounting lies in its drive toward sustainability-oriented regulation, enabling companies to generate value for shareholders while aligning their goals with global priorities.