Mapping CSR and employee organizational commitment: A bibliometric review of thematic evolution and research frontiers

Type of the article: Research ArticleAbstract Amidst growing employee-related challenges such as turnover, declining trust, and disengagement, examining the impact of CSR initiatives on behavioral outcomes, such as organizational commitment, becomes critical. This study systematically maps the social, conceptual, and intellectual structure of fragmented research on the CSR–organizational commitment link. Using Biblioshiny and VOS viewer, it analyzes 432 documents from the Web of Science spanning 2005–2025. Results show a consistent growth in publications over two decades, with China as the most prolific contributor and the UK as the top international collaborator. The study showcases recurring contributions from multiple journals and authors. Keyword co-occurrence reveals eight thematic clusters, and thematic evolution shows how the CSR–employee commitment relationship has expanded to include HRM practices, corporate governance, and the underexplored SME context. Analysis of trend topics indicates a clear shift in research focus from ethics and stakeholder theory to literature examining intervening variables in the CSR–organizational commitment association. The study suggests future research directions, including investigating new mediator–moderator variables, deeper integration of CSR and HRM, and greater focus on SMEs, where empirical data are limited. These findings reflect the growing interdisciplinary nature of CSR–employee commitment research, which merges sustainability, behavioral, and organizational perspectives.