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

Abstract

The 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).