Title: Unravelling the mixed performance of socially responsible funds: a comprehensive literature review

Authors: Surbhi Verma; Ashu Khanna

Addresses: Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India ' Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, India

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a noticeable surge in the body of knowledge surrounding socially responsible investment (SRI), yet the findings in the literature have not provided conclusive evidence regarding the performance of SRI funds. Our objective is to provide researchers with a deep understanding of the intricate factors that contribute to the inconclusive results in the literature. Furthermore, we will present information on influential journals, trends in SRI, and the most cited countries in the field. To achieve the objective, we employ a comprehensive mixed review method approach, combining systematic and bibliometric analysis. The study encompasses scholarly articles recorded in Web of Science and Scopus from 1991 to 2023. Our analysis indicates that various factors such as age, size, location, risk-adjusted measures, and previous researchers' mistaken belief in the homogeneity of these funds influence the performance of SRI funds. The study is vital for offering a detailed examination of the extensive literature on SRI, equipping scholars with essential insights.

Keywords: socially responsible mutual funds; ethical funds; financial performance of SRI; socially responsible investment; bibliometric analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAF.2024.143368

International Journal of Accounting and Finance, 2024 Vol.12 No.1/2, pp.1 - 25

Received: 24 Apr 2023
Accepted: 08 Jun 2024
Published online: 16 Dec 2024 *

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