Examining the Direct and Configurational Pathways of Corporate Social Responsibility and Organizational Learning Toward Sustainable Competitive Advantage in Dynamic Contexts

ABSTRACT Amid increasing environmental and stakeholder pressures, organizations are challenged to transform corporate social responsibility into a sustainable competitive advantage. While prior studies have explored this relationship primarily through linear models, limited attention has been given to the configurational pathways through which CSR and related learning processes yield sustainable outcomes. This study addresses this gap by integrating fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) to capture both linear and configurational effects. Using data from 515 professionals across small‐ and large‐scale mining firms in Ghana, the study examines how CSR directly and indirectly influences sustainable competitive advantage through exploratory and exploitative learning, and how environmental dynamism conditions these relationships. The results reveal that CSR promotes sustainable advantage through dual learning mechanisms, with exploratory learning exerting a stronger effect. Moreover, fsQCA uncovers multiple equifinal configurations of CSR, organizational learning, and environmental dynamism that jointly lead to a high level of competitive advantage. The findings extend CSR and sustainable development research by highlighting fsQCA as a novel analytical lens for uncovering complex causal interactions and offering practical insights for firms seeking adaptive, socially responsible strategies in dynamic contexts. Theoretically, the study advances CSR and learning research by identifying distinct mechanisms and boundary conditions. In practice, it offers evidence‐based guidance to firms in volatile contexts on transforming CSR investments into adaptive capabilities that sustain long‐term competitiveness.