Corporate Social Responsibility ( <scp>CSR</scp> ) in Mining: An Integrated Institutional and Agency Theory Perspective

What the paper says

ABSTRACT Mining is one of the foundations of economic development but has historically been associated with severe socioenvironmental impacts, such as ecosystem degradation, displacement of traditional communities, and large‐scale disasters. In this context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays a central role as a mechanism for legitimizing mining companies, configured not merely as a voluntary strategy but as an ethical, social, and institutional requirement. This study aims to propose a theoretical model that integrates Institutional Theory and Agency Theory, elucidating the mechanisms that lead mining companies to adopt CSR practices as a strategic response to the demands of the external environment and the internal dynamics of governance. The research is based on a systematic literature review (SLR), following the PRISMA protocol, and included articles indexed in SciELO , Scopus , and Web of Science . Bibliometric and qualitative analyses were applied, supported by software such as VOSviewer, to map keyword co‐occurrence and organize thematic clusters. The results revealed that while coercive, normative, and mimetic pressures induce greater socioenvironmental commitment, agency conflicts often limit the effectiveness of CSR, favoring symbolic practices or greenwashing. By integrating both theoretical approaches, the study concludes that the effectiveness of CSR in mining depends not only on responsiveness to external pressures but also on the integrity of internal governance. The study contributes to a critical understanding of CSR as a field of tensions between institutional rationalities and strategic interests, providing insights for more transparent, legitimate, and socially aligned corporate strategies.