A systematic literature review on greenwashing and its relationship to stakeholders: state of art and future research agenda

Abstract

AbstractThe interest in greenwashing has grown in recent decades. However, comprehensive, and systematic research concentrating on the evolution of this phenomenon, specifically regarding its impacts on stakeholders, is still needed. The main purpose of this study is to provide an overview and synthesis of the existing body of knowledge on greenwashing, through a bibliometric study of articles published up to 2021, identifying the most relevant research in this field. Special attention is given to the latest articles that link greenwashing to stakeholders, identifying gaps and future research opportunities. A bibliometric analysis and literature review was performed on 310 documents obtained from the Web of Science database, using the VOSviewer software program. This article identifies the most influential aspects of greenwashing literature (authors, articles, journals, institutions, and keyword networks). The most recent articles on the effect of greenwashing on stakeholders were also analyzed, which made it possible to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for future research. These topics include greenwashing impacts on branding, consumer attitudes and intentions, mainly on purchase behavior, B2B relationships and the definition of taxonomy for greenwashing, considering the different practices. This study offers a thorough analysis on the state-of-the-art, as well as a closer look at the impacts of greenwashing on various stakeholders, providing a list of suggestions for future research.