Greenwashing : an integrated thematic and content analysis of literature through scientometrics methods

Academic studies and business practices are paying more and more attention to the topic of "greenwashing," or the organizations' false marketing of their environmental sustainability initiatives. To obtain insight into the current state of knowledge, this article offers a thorough investigation that combines topic and content analysis of the greenwashing literature. The study begins with bibliometric analysis to examine patterns of publication, collaboration networks, and citation trends and later uses scientometrics to explore collaboration networks. Then thematic analysis is employed to identify key themes and concepts prevalent in the literature. In the third stage, content analysis has been done by examining five clusters formed by thematic analysis using SciMAT. The integrated approach of thematic and content analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge on greenwashing, identifying research gaps and emerging trends. It sheds light on the most influential authors, journals, and institutions in the field and examines the evolution of research over time. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of greenwashing by offering a structured and systematic analysis of the existing literature. The insights gained can guide future research directions, inform policymakers and practitioners, and help develop effective strategies to mitigate greenwashing practices.