A bibliometric and content analysis of the role of corporate social responsibility in enhancing competitive advantage

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) serves as a strategic tool for tackling environmental and social challenges while boosting competitive advantage (CA). However, its impact can vary across contexts, producing positive, negative, or even neutral outcomes, as some firms still perceive CSR as a burden. This study aims to bridge this gap by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric and content analysis of 330 articles from the Scopus database (2003–2024) to explore the intellectual foundations, trends, and mechanisms linking CSR to CA. Findings highlight key trends, influential journals, and dominant theories like stakeholder theory and the resource-based theory (RBT). The research underscores that CSR’s strategic alignment with business operations, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability practices is vital for CA. Emerging themes include green innovation and dynamic capabilities, while geographic trends reveal growing contributions from emerging economies. We conclude that CSR, when strategically integrated, transitions from a cost to a driver of CA by building intangible assets like stakeholder trust and reputation. This research provides a roadmap for practitioners and a future research agenda focused on context-specific CSR dynamics.