Charting the Path: Unraveling the Research on Organizations and Certification Schemes (1999–2022)

• Published in: SAGE open 2024-12, Vol.14 (4)
• Main Authors: Castillo, Nicole, Ponce Oliva, Roberto D., Diaz Tautiva, Julián Andrés
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bibliometrics; Certification
• ISSN: 2158-2440; 2158-2440
• DOI: 10.1177/21582440241301834

Certification schemes are a significant focal point for organizations, offering promising avenues for achieving excellence, fostering innovation, and promoting sustainability. However, our understanding of the relationship between organizations and certification schemes remains limited and fragmented. This study addresses this knowledge gap by elucidating the evolution of research on this topic within the categories of business and economics, engineering, and sustainability. We conducted a comprehensive literature synthesis spanning from 1999 to 2022, employing a four-stage PRISMA protocol. The analysis incorporated bibliometric methods to uncover the underlying knowledge structure within the literature. Notably, the Institut National De La Recherche Agronomique in France and the Journal of Cleaner Production emerged as the most productive institutions and journals in this domain. Furthermore, Olivier Boiral stood out as the most co-cited author. Additionally, we identified thirteen distinct research clusters. We propose future research directions based on these clusters, considering the categories of business and economics, engineering, and sustainability. The results enhance the ongoing discussion regarding the worldwide adoption of certification schemes and their viability as strategies to tackle grand challenges, particularly in the context of global environmental change. Plain language summary This study aims to explore how organizations use certification schemes to improve, innovate, and become more sustainable. Certification schemes are guidelines or standards that organizations follow to prove they meet certain levels of excellence. We delved into this because there’s not much clear, unified information about the relationship between organizations and these schemes. To understand this better, we analyzed a wide range of studies and articles from 1999 to 2022, using a thorough method called PRISMA.