This work develops a systematic literature review on the B Corp movement that follows the results obtained in the work of Alonso-Martinez and González-Álvarez (2024). In their analysis, they both explore how different approaches and theories provide a conceptual framework for understanding the role of B Corps in creating Sustainable Business Ecosystems (SBE). The list is relevant:
- The stakeholder theory
- The triple bottom line approach
- The theory of shared value creation
- The circular economy approach
- The living systems approach
- Theory of sustainability
- The collaborative multi-stakeholder approach
- The collective impact approach
- The business ethics approach
- The signaling theory
- The theory of sustainable business models
We perform research on the same theories as did Alonso-Martinez and Gonzalez-Alvarez and we present the intersection of each theory with B Corps by exposing the number of articles and their key areas of ongoing research, method, and research gaps and future lines of investigation. The results on the analyzed publications both in Scopus and Web of Science show in the first place, that B Corp it is an incipient field with great potential. And secondly, that it is a topic difficult to be categorized and explained by a specific theory. It depends on the approach we take, the proposal that best explains the reason to obtain the B Corp Certification, changes. Finally, several lines of future work are proposed: the development of case studies on the certification process itself; and the development of methods for measuring social impact.
Keywords
B Corps, Sustainability, Circular economy, Certification and Theories.