Sustainable Corporate Governance in the Era of Digitalization

Introduction

With increasing regulatory pressures, heightened stakeholder expectations, and the rapid evolution of digitalization, the need to understand the interplay between digitalization and sustainable corporate governance has never been more urgent (Brennan et al., 2019). Regulatory bodies, such as the European Commission (2022), have introduced stringent ESG reporting requirements, emphasizing corporate responsibility and sustainable business models. Additionally, technological advancements in AI and blockchain are reshaping corporate transparency and accountability (Wang et al., 2024). The World Economic Forum (2023) highlights that digital tools can mitigate governance risks through enhanced data analytics and predictive modelling. However, issues such as algorithmic bias, cybersecurity threats, and regulatory gaps remain critical concerns (Taddeo et al., 2023). By examining these issues, the special issue aligns with global efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and responds to the growing demand for research that bridges digital innovation and sustainable governance practices (UN, 2023).

This special issue will contribute to the growing body of literature by bridging the gap between sustainable corporate governance and digital transformation research (Kavadis and Thomsen, 2023; Kraus et al., 2021). It will highlight innovative governance models, frameworks, and practices that leverage digital technologies to achieve sustainable outcomes. By integrating insights from finance, information technology and management, this issue will provide novel frameworks, methodologies, and empirical findings that can guide both scholars and practitioners in navigating the complexities of governance in a digitalized world. Furthermore, this special issue seeks to develop new theoretical perspectives that capture the dynamic relationship between digital transformation and sustainable corporate governance, moving beyond traditional governance models to more adaptive and technology-driven frameworks (Martínez-Peláez et al., 2024). The contributions will highlight not only how firms and regulators can implement digital solutions to enhance governance but also how such technologies may introduce ethical, strategic, and operational complexities (Brennan et al., 2019).

This special issue seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for interdisciplinary research on the intersection of sustainable corporate governance and digital transformation. The key aims are to (1) investigate how digital technologies enhance corporate governance transparency, accountability, and ethical decision-making, (2) analyze the risks and challenges digitalization poses to corporate governance structures, and (3) explore how firms can integrate sustainability into governance frameworks in the era of digitalization. This special issue aims to provide new empirical evidence, theoretical advancements, and case studies, offering new insights into best practices, regulatory implications, and emerging governance models. We encourage diverse methodological approaches, including quantitative studies, qualitative studies, case studies, and experimental research, to build a robust understanding of sustainable corporate governance in the digital era.

List of topic areas

We encourage submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics: 

• The role of digital technologies in enhancing sustainability reporting and ESG performance.
• Ethical governance in the age of AI, automation, and big data.
• Digital transformation and its impact on stakeholder engagement and corporate accountability.
• Governance frameworks for managing cybersecurity and data privacy risks in sustainable organizations.
• The role of boards in overseeing digital transformation and sustainability strategies.
• Case studies of organizations that have successfully integrated digitalization and sustainability through effective governance.
• The impact of digitalization on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable development.
• Regulatory challenges and opportunities in governing digital transformation for sustainability.

Submissions Information 

Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts. Registration and access are available here. 

Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here. 

Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to ““Please select the issue you are submitting to”. 

Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key deadlines 

Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/07/2025 

Closing date for manuscripts submission: 31/12/2025

Guest editors

Associate Professor Yan Wang, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK, yan.wang@ntu.ac.uk 

Professor Tam Nguyen, Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, UK, tam.nguyen02@ntu.ac.uk 

Associate Professor Xiaowen Gao, University of Greenwich, UK, x.gao@gre.ac.uk 

Dr Amee Kim, Canterbury Christ Church University, UK, amee.kim@canterbury.ac.uk