A Bibliometric Analysis of the Knowledge Base on the Oil and Gas Sector and Corporate Social Responsibility

Despite the oil and gas sector being at the core of the global economy, it faces considerable criticism for its environmental and social impact, raising questions about its legitimacy and sustainability. Corporate Social Responsibility is one of the major strategies in mitigating these concerns, though there is not a dearth of studies regarding the matter. This research aims to bridge this gap by utilizing the bibliometric approach to map the knowledge base of CSR in the Oil and Gas industry. It examined 1,035 articles published in the Scopus Database from 1977 to 2023. The results revealed that the Journal of Cleaner Production and the Journal of Business Ethics were the most prominent. The United States and the United Kingdom were the most influential, while Joseph Ikechukwu Uduji and Frank Vanclay were deemed the most prominent authors. Themes that stood out were CSR, sustainability, governance, extractive industries, and the oil and gas (O&G) sector. Examination of the publication activity revealed a consistent upward trend, with the highest peak in 2021. There was a notable gap in contributions from developing and emerging nations, indicative of the necessity for more diverse and inclusive research. Scholars and practitioners can also utilize this research to enhance their current comprehension of the O&G CSR corpus. It provides insights that can influence research agendas through its identification of research gaps, publishing patterns, and academic collaborations. Policy and industry leaders can also utilize this study’s findings to enhance their governance frameworks and CSR practices.