Social Business Performance: Is it Possible to measure? Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Objective: This article proposes a systematic review of the literature on social business performance (SBP) measures to analyze its current panorama of studies and propose a research agenda. Methodology: A mixed approach, quantitative regarding the use of descriptive statistical analysis, and qualitative regarding the content analysis. The research considered 241 peer-reviewed journal articles extracted from the Scopus database in English from 2010 to 2021, of which 34 comprised the qualitative analysis. Results and Conclusion: The results reveal a growing interest in this field of research in recent years, especially from 2017 to 2020. Most studies on SBP are concentrated in North America, specifically in the United States (52 articles). Subjective scales are the most frequent as SBP measures, and the scale developed by Miles et al. (2014), which addresses economic and social performance, was the one that stood out the most in the studies. Of the 34 articles that constituted the qualitative analysis, a research agenda composed of four categories can be established. Research implications: The study contributes to research in ​​social business, primarily social and economic performance, evidencing a perception of the evolution of SBP studies in the last ten years. Originality/value: It presents the objective and subjective SBP measures adopted in scientific production. It also presents an agenda for future research that covers the application of studies in other contexts and sectors. The research focused on longitudinal studies, quantifiable and objective measures, and comparisons between social and traditional businesses.