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Technology reshaping responsibility:  The role of services in global sustainability

RYAN TANG, LILI MI, XI WEN CARYS CHAN, HONGMIN YAN AND TAMER CAVSGIL  | 

The role of services in global sustainability

Services dominate today’s global economy—from finance and telecoms to education, tourism, and healthcare. Unlike goods, services are produced and consumed simultaneously, heavily shaped by people, culture, and context.

That makes corporate social responsibility (CSR) both essential and challenging for international service enterprises. And while technology—from AI to blockchain—is transforming how services are delivered, research into how these tools intersect with CSR remains surprisingly thin.

Our recent systematic literature review of 51 studies (2009–2024) sheds light on what’s been explored, where gaps remain, and where the field should head next.

What we know so far

  • A recent surge: Very little was published before 2015. Interest has grown sharply since 2021, fuelled by the digital transformations sparked by COVID-19.
  • Sector bias: Studies mostly focus on finance, telecoms, and distribution. Sectors like healthcare, cultural services, and tourism are largely overlooked.
  • Global imbalance: Research clusters in China, India, and the US, with many other regions underrepresented.
  • Diverse methods: Most studies are empirical, skewing toward quantitative analysis.

Technology reshaping responsibility

1. Implementation
AI and big data are helping enterprises measure CSR more effectively—tracking emissions, optimising supply chains, or supporting smallholder farmers with digital farming tools. In some cases, this translates into higher firm valuations and stronger stakeholder trust.

2. Communication and engagement
Digital platforms and social media are transforming how companies engage employees, customers, and communities in CSR. Transparency has increased—but so too has scepticism when communication feels superficial.

3. New challenges: digital responsibility
With opportunity comes risk. The rise of Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) highlights issues like data privacy, algorithmic bias, and digital ethics. Yet CSR and CDR remain only loosely connected in the literature, signalling a major gap.

Unique CSR challenges in services

Service enterprises face distinctive CSR pressures compared to manufacturers:

  • Services are intangible, making CSR initiatives harder to measure.
  • They rely on direct human interaction, so failures to live up to commitments are quickly exposed.
  • They operate across cultures, requiring sensitivity to different norms and expectations.

Technology amplifies these dynamics—sometimes helping, sometimes complicating them.

Where the gaps remain

Our review identified four major blind spots:

  1. CSR and AI: Despite the hype, very little research examines AI’s impact on CSR in services.
  2. Ethics: Issues like privacy, fairness, and digital inclusion are underexplored.
  3. Sectors: Healthcare, education, and cultural services remain overlooked.
  4. Geography: The Global South is underrepresented, despite rapid service-sector growth there.

Priorities for action

For researchers, policymakers, and practitioners alike, several priorities stand out:

  • Build frameworks that bridge CSR and CDR.
  • Explore AI’s role in reshaping CSR delivery and communication.
  • Deepen ethical inquiry around digitalisation.
  • Expand research beyond finance and telecoms.
  • Study region-specific contexts, especially in emerging economies.

Looking ahead

International service enterprises are on the frontline of CSR innovation. Advanced technologies bring enormous opportunities for transparency, engagement, and sustainability—but also new ethical responsibilities.

Our review provides the clearest picture yet of this emerging field. The challenge now is to close the gaps—linking CSR and digital responsibility, exploring AI’s impact, and broadening research across sectors and geographies.

Getting this right is not just an academic exercise. It’s a practical necessity for enterprises navigating global markets, social expectations, and the ethical demands of a digital world.

AUTHORS

Dr Ryan Tang and Dr Lili Mi are members of the Griffith Asia Institute, Dr Carys Chan is from the Department of Management, Griffith University, Dr Hongmin Yan is from the School of Business, University of New South Wales, and Professor Tamer Cavusgil is from the Institute of International Business, Georgia State University, Atlanta.

Acknowledgement: This blog post was prepared with the assistance of ChatGPT to support the adaptation of the following journal article into a concise, reader-accessible synopsis: Tang, R.W., Mi, L., Chan, X.W.C. et al. Corporate Social Responsibility and Technological Advancement of International Service Enterprises: Links and Gaps in the Literature. Manag Int Rev 65, 415–458 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-025-00578-4

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