What Do Senior Italian “Economia Aziendale” Scholars Publish on Sustainability? An Analysis of Scholars Serving as Members of the Italian National Scientific Qualification (ASN) Board

Italian Economia Aziendale (EA) scholars increasingly engage with sustainability-related research, yet little is known about the generational profile of this engagement. This study examines the contribution of senior Italian EA scholars, focusing on full professors who applied as commissioners in the Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale (ASN) across the 2012–2023 rounds. The analysis explores the scope of their involvement in sustainability topics, the evolution of their research interests over time, and the journals and editorial outlets they tend to prioritize. The ASN platform was used to identify eligible commissioners, from which only those with a valid Scopus ID were retained to ensure reliable tracking of publication records. A targeted query strategy was employed to extract Scopus-indexed outputs related to sustainability, generating a dataset that captures both the thematic focus and temporal progression of their scholarly activity. The final sample consists of 207 senior EA scholars. The study offers an overview of sustainability-oriented research within the senior segment of the EA academic community, highlighting changes in publishing behavior and thematic orientation. The evidence contributes to the understanding of how the current senior cohort shapes sustainability scholarship within the Italian EA tradition, and it supports further reflection on generational transitions in the field.