Building ESG service capabilities: a systematic literature review

As sustainable development gradually becomes a global consensus, environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) has evolved from an optional consideration to a strategic imperative for organizations. To develop a deeper understanding of how organizations effectively build and integrate ESG service capabilities, this study systematically reviews 123 peer-reviewed papers from 1984 to 2024, exploring the developmental mechanisms, contextual contingencies, and configuration patterns in this field. Through bibliographic coupling analysis and Python NLTK thematic analysis, we identified four interrelated capability dimensions: data governance, organizational learning, strategic adaptability, and technological integration. The analysis reveals these capabilities co-evolve through distinct capability configurations in non-linear patterns. The findings extend management literature by identifying ESG capability interaction patterns, refining Dynamic Capability Theory for ESG contexts, and demonstrating theoretical complementarities. The integrative framework provides practitioners with systematic guidance for developing ESG service capabilities across the spectrum from compliance to leadership.