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Who cares about ESG? A review of stakeholder perspectives on sustainability ratings

Author

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  • Jeffrey Gauthier
  • Jeffrey A. Kappen

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize sustainability ratings scholarship through a stakeholder lens and propose an agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe approach involves a review of the literature on sustainability ratings and the application of a framework grounded in stakeholder theory to understand our current knowledge of ratings.FindingsThe review identifies eight stakeholder groups with distinct interests in sustainability ratings and suggests future research directions associated with each group.Research limitations/implicationsThe stakeholder categorizations proposed in the paper help to identify limitations in the current state of research and suggest possible areas for future scholarly attention.Originality/valueThis paper provides an integrative theoretical contribution by systematically applying stakeholder theory to organize a fragmented research stream. While drawing on established concepts, the framework makes implicit distinctions explicit and identifies concrete gaps that can guide future empirical research.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey Gauthier & Jeffrey A. Kappen, 2026. "Who cares about ESG? A review of stakeholder perspectives on sustainability ratings," Management Research Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 49(2), pages 274-292, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:mrrpps:mrr-07-2025-0559
    DOI: 10.1108/MRR-07-2025-0559
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