WHAT DRIVES ESG IN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY： A BIBLIOMETRIC AND THEMATIC REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/JTHEM.1144022Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis, ESG, ESG Antecedents, Tourism and Hospitality, Thematic ReviewAbstract
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research has expanded rapidly in tourism and hospitality, yet the antecedents of ESG remain conceptually fragmented. This review addresses that gap through a combined bibliometric and thematic approach. Drawing on 137 Scopus articles and a focused thematic sample of 26 studies, it maps the intellectual structure of ESG antecedent research and synthesizes the main drivers of ESG development. The findings show that the field remains rooted in sustainability, corporate social responsibility, stakeholder theory, governance, and performance-related concerns, while antecedent-focused work is only beginning to consolidate. Five antecedent clusters are identified: digitalization and technology enabled capacities; internal organizational capabilities, leadership, and people systems; governance, strategic orientation, and firm-level design; stakeholder, market, and institutional pressures; and place-based governance, community embeddedness, and societal innovation. Taken together, these clusters show that ESG in tourism and hospitality is shaped by interacting organizational, strategic, technological, institutional, and socially embedded conditions rather than by a single explanatory pathway. The review advances a more explanatory understanding of ESG and outlines priorities for future research.
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