Greenwashing in Corporate Disclosures: A Systematic Review, an Integrated Framework and Future Research Agenda

Abstract

Greenwashing refers to the practice whereby organizations make misleading or deceptive claims about their products, services or operations to influence consumer perceptions and attract customers. Given the growing scholarly interest in greenwashing, this study presents a hybrid systematic review of greenwashing in corporate disclosures by integrating bibliometric and framework-based analyses. The SPAR-4-SLR protocol guided the systematic review process for assembling, arranging and evaluating the literature. To achieve the research objectives, a bibliometric analysis was first conducted. The findings were subsequently synthesized using the actor-antecedents-decisions-outcomes (AADO) framework along with the theoretical, contextual, and methodological (TCM) frameworks, leading to the development of an integrative framework on greenwashing in corporate disclosures. The framework on greenwashing in corporate disclosures outlines the primary actors and their evolving roles, while synthesizing the key antecedents, decisions and outcomes alongside the dominant theories, contextual dimensions and methodological approaches. Finally, the study presents future research agenda and highlights key areas for further study.