Corporate social responsibility in franchising: A meta-analytic review

Purpose: This study seeks to present a comprehensive meta-analysis of academic research on corporate social responsibility and franchising over the past 27 years (1994–2020).Methodology: The data was compiled using the ISI Web of Science database. A total of 204 articles were identified and analysed through bibliometric citation and content analysis.Findings: The analysis reveal the 49 most relevant articles, 107 authors, and 21 journals. The trending themes in the literature were clustered into three research streams: ethics and franchising; drivers of CSR performance and disclosure; and impact of CSR on organisational performance. Overall, the literature indicates that franchising has ethical implications which impacts on the large group of stakeholders it creates as a type of business strategy. Also, despite the high costs of pursuing corporate social responsibility, empirical evidence suggests that it is beneficial in establishing quality relationship with stakeholders which in turn has implications for operational and financial performances.Implications: The study makes an important contribution to existing knowledge for practitioners and provides the basis for further studies. Contribution: As the first review paper in the field, the article is unique in its extensive review and synthesis of the literature in corporate social responsibility and franchising.