This study examines the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in e-commerce literature by locating and collecting data from academic publications. By doing a search using specific terms such as “e-commerce,” “electronic commerce,” and “corporate social responsibility” in a prominent online publisher’s database from 2001 to 2023, our analysis reveals the increasing importance of CSR matters in the field of e-commerce. Multiple levels of observation have identified this growing trend (conceptual, geographical, and technological). This article primarily focuses on providing a conceptual framework that provides the economic reason for the increasing interest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues in the field of electronic commerce. While there are several ethical and social aspects that can account for this interest, this research specifically explores the complementary justification.

1. United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Available online: https://www.unido.org/our-focus/advancing-economic-competitiveness/competitive-trade-capacities-and-corporate-responsibility/corporate-social-responsibility-market-integration/what-csr (accessed on 1 May 2024).
2. Christopher M. Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 5th ed. Pearson; 2016.
3. Chopra S, Meindl P. Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Planning, and Operation, 6th ed. Pearson; 2015.
4. Prokesch S. The sustainable supply chain. Available online: https://hbr.org/2010/10/the-sustainable-supply-chain (accessed on 1 May 2024).
5. Cohen S, Roussel J. Strategic Supply Chain Management: The Five Core Disciplines for Top Performance, 2nd ed. McGraw-Hill; 2013.
6. Greenstein S. Sustainability Starts with Supply Chain: Industry Week, Advancing the Business of Manufacturing. Available online: http://www.industryweek.com/supplier-relationships/sustainability-starts-supply-chain (accessed on 1 May 2024).
7. Dyllick T, Hockerts K. Beyond the Business Case for Corporate Sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2002; 11: 130-141. doi: 10.1002/bse.323
8. Kolpin DW, Furlong ET, Meyer MT, et al. Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999−2000: A National Reconnaissance. Environmental Science & Technology. 2002; 36(6): 1202-1211. doi: 10.1021/es011055j
9. Andersen M, Skjoett‐Larsen T. Corporate social responsibility in global supply chains. Lindgreen A, ed. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal. 2009; 14(2): 75-86. doi: 10.1108/13598540910941948
10. Friedman M. The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits. New York Time Magazine. 1970; 13: 32-33.
11. Pintea MO. The Relationship between Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility. Review of Economic Studies & Research Virgil Madgearu. 2015; 8: 91-108.
12. Weaver GR, Trevino LK, Cochran PL. Integrated and decoupled corporate social performance: management commitments, external pressures, and corporate ethics practices. Academy of Management Journal. 1999; 42(5): 539-552. doi: 10.2307/256975
13. Blazovich JL, Smith LM. Ethical Corporate Citizenship: Does It Pay? In: Jeffrey C (editor). Research on Professional Responsibility and Ethics in Accounting. Emerald Group Publishing Limited; 2011. pp. 127-163. doi: 10.1108/S1574-0765(2011)0000015008
14. Kot S. Knowledge and Understanding of Corporate Social Responsibility. Journal of Advanced Research in Law and Economics. 2014; 5: 109-119.
15. Carroll AB. A Three-Dimensional Conceptual Model of Corporate Performance. The Academy of Management Review. 1979; 4(4): 497. doi: 10.2307/257850
16. John E. Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of the 21st Century Business. Capstone Publishing Ltd; 1997.
17. Zorzini M, Hendry LC, Huq FA, et al. Socially responsible sourcing: reviewing the literature and its use of theory. International Journal of Operations & Production Management. 2015; 35(1): 60-109. doi: 10.1108/ijopm-07-2013-0355
18. Reefke H, Sundaram D. Key themes and research opportunities in sustainable supply chain management – identification and evaluation. Omega. 2017; 66: 195-211. doi: 10.1016/j.omega.2016.02.003
19. Feng Y, Zhu Q, Lai KH. Corporate social responsibility for supply chain management: A literature review and bibliometric analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2017; 158: 296-307. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.05.018
20. Denyer D, Tranfield D. Chapter 39 Producing a Systematic Review. In: Buchanan D, Bryman A (editors). The Sage Handbook of Organizational Research Methods. Sage Publications; 2009. pp. 671-689.
21. Jafari H. Logistics flexibility: a systematic review. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. 2015; 64(7): 947-970. doi: 10.1108/ijppm-05-2014-0069
22. Tranfield D, Denyer D, Smart P. Towards a Methodology for Developing Evidence‐Informed Management Knowledge by Means of Systematic Review. British Journal of Management. 2003; 14(3): 207-222. doi: 10.1111/1467-8551.00375
23. Akbari M. Logistics outsourcing: a structured literature review. Benchmarking: An International Journal. 2018; 25(5): 1548-1580. doi: 10.1108/bij-04-2017-0066
24. Touboulic A, Walker H. Theories in sustainable supply chain management: A structured literature review. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management. 2015; 45(1/2): 16-42. doi: 10.1108/ijpdlm-05-2013-0106
25. Clausen J, Blättel-Mink B, Erdmann L, et al. Contribution of Online Trading of Used Goods to Resource Efficiency: An Empirical Study of eBay Users. Sustainability. 2010; 2(6): 1810-1830. doi: 10.3390/su2061810
26. Raman P. Examining the importance of gamification, social interaction and perceived enjoyment among young female online buyers in India. Young Consumers. 2020; 22(3): 387-412. doi: 10.1108/yc-05-2020-1148
27. Lemos C, Ramos RF, Moro S, et al. Stick or Twist—The Rise of Blockchain Applications in Marketing Management. Sustainability. 2022; 14(7): 4172. doi: 10.3390/su14074172
28. Paștiu CA, Oncioiu I, Gârdan DA, et al. The Perspective of E-Business Sustainability and Website Accessibility of Online Stores. Sustainability. 2020; 12(22): 9780. doi: 10.3390/su12229780
29. Oláh J, Kitukutha N, Haddad H, et al. Achieving Sustainable E-Commerce in Environmental, Social and Economic Dimensions by Taking Possible Trade-Offs. Sustainability. 2018; 11(1): 89. doi: 10.3390/su11010089
30. Falagas ME, Pitsouni EI, Malietzis GA, et al. Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: strengths and weaknesses. The FASEB Journal. 2007; 22(2): 338-342. doi: 10.1096/fj.07-9492lsf
31. Vogel R, Güttel WH. The Dynamic Capability View in Strategic Management: A Bibliometric Review. International Journal of Management Reviews. 2012; 15(4): 426-446. doi: 10.1111/ijmr.12000
32. Hota PK, Subramanian B, Narayanamurthy G. Mapping the Intellectual Structure of Social Entrepreneurship Research: A Citation/Co-citation Analysis. Journal of Business Ethics. 2019; 166(1): 89-114. doi: 10.1007/s10551-019-04129-4