Since the article 'The social responsibility of international business: From ethics and the environment to CSR and sustainable development' was published, it has also consistently been the number one in the 'most downloaded article in the last 90 days' list. The number of times an article is cited or downloaded is an indication of its impact.

In January 2016, an independent advisory board had already selected the article as winner of the Elsevier-wide Atlas award for social impact. This award recognises research that could significantly impact people’s lives around the world.