Corporate Social Responsibility and Internal Control in Financial Performance Research: A Systematic Literature Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

The relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and internal control has produced a fragmented body of research spanning accounting, finance, and management journals, with inconsistent construct definitions, measurement approaches, and theoretical framings across studies. This paper conducts a systematic literature review, following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, of empirical research examining the CSR–internal control–financial performance nexus published between January 2020 and June 2026. From an initial pool of 518 records identified across Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, 42 studies met the inclusion criteria for full-text synthesis after title/abstract screening and eligibility assessment. Descriptive analysis reveals a marked increase in publication volume since 2022, a concentration of studies in South and East Asian institutional contexts, and a predominant reliance on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) as the analytical technique of choice. Thematic synthesis identifies five recurring streams: (1) CSR as an antecedent of internal control effectiveness, (2) internal control as a mediating or moderating mechanism in the CSR–financial performance relationship, (3) divergence between composite and dimension-level CSR measurement approaches, (4) institutional and contextual moderators of the CSR–internal control relationship, and (5) methodological heterogeneity in operationalizing internal control effectiveness, most commonly via the COSO Integrated Framework. Quality appraisal using a modified Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) indicates that most included studies exhibit moderate-to-high methodological rigor, though common method bias and cross-sectional design remain pervasive limitations. The review concludes with a structured research agenda spanning six priority areas, including longitudinal designs, dimension-level CSR measurement, cross-country institutional comparisons, and integration of Islamic corporate governance perspectives in Muslim-majority markets. This synthesis provides researchers, journal reviewers, and policymakers with an integrated map of a rapidly growing but conceptually fragmented literature.