Conceptualising the state of the art of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the construction industry and its nexus to sustainable development

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a widely embraced social phenomenon and has attracted increasing research interests in the construction industry recent years. However, their coverage of the issues pertaining to CSR in the construction industry are isolated and less comprehensive, failing to encompass the multifaceted nature of the construction industry. This study aimed to reveal and conceptualise the CSR's state of art in the construction industry. Following a systematic selection of 68 papers published in different journals between 2000 and 2017, the inductive and deductive content analysis of these papers reveal four research themes of current CSR research in the construction industry, comprising CSR perception, CSR dimensions, CSR implementation and CSR performance. A conceptual framework was developed accordingly to reflect the CSR research sate of art in the construction industry. Furthermore, given the nexus between CSR and sustainable development, insights for enhancing CSR contribution to sustainable development, and sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the construction industry were proposed, including changing the traditional procurement practices, improving legislation for environmental responsibility, integrating CSR dimensions and increasing CSR implementation in small to medium enterprises (SME). The findings of this study will deepen the understanding of CSR in the construction industry, and provide practical implications for different stakeholders in the construction industry to contribute more effectively to sustainable development.