Research Opportunities in CSR Communication: A Bibliometric Insight into Corporate Legitimacy as an Emerging Sub-Cluster

Doctoral of Communication Studies, Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), 57126, Indonesia

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Abstract

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication has become a crucial component of corporate strategy, particularly in the context of enhancing corporate legitimacy. This bibliometric study, based on a systematic analysis of 143 articles from the Scopus database published between 2018 and 2024, explores emerging research trends in this field. Using VOSviewer’s visual mapping tools—Network, Density, and Overlay—we successfully mapped the intellectual structure and trends of the literature. Our findings challenge the notion of a saturated field, revealing a highly dynamic landscape with a significant shift from general topics to specific, emerging sub-clusters. Specifically, corporate legitimacy has emerged as a key underexplored sub-cluster, indicating substantial opportunities for new contributions. This study identifies significant research gaps and outlines key opportunities, particularly focusing on future research directions concerning the relationship between CSR communication and corporate legitimacy.