| Abstract | The increasing institutionalization of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles has expanded expectations for professional advisory firms to support the interpretation and implementation of sustainability-related requirements. While prior research has focused largely on ESG disclosure and performance at the firm level, limited attention has been given to how ESG is integrated within professional consulting services, particularly in emerging-market contexts. This study addresses this gap by examining ESG integration within a mid-tier professional consulting firm operating in Vietnam, with specific attention to responsible investment and tax transparency as social and governance dimensions of ESG. The study adopts a qualitative single-case research design, drawing on semi-structured interviews with internal professionals and selected clients, complemented by document analysis. Data are analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by institutional, stakeholder, responsible investment, and innovation diffusion perspectives.The findings indicate that ESG integration within professional consulting services is primarily driven by institutional and client expectations rather than by internally embedded strategic commitments. Responsible investment considerations are incorporated conditionally, depending on engagement context and external requirements.Tax transparency emerges as a central governance concern, shaped by ongoing tensions between regulatory compliance, ethical expectations, and commercial advisory objectives. Additionally, ESG practices are unevenly diffused across organizational levels and service lines, reflecting differences in roles, capabilities, and access to ESG related guidance. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating how mid-tier professional consulting firms function as intermediaries in ESG implementation. It highlights ESG integration as a pragmatic, context-dependent process mediated through professional judgment, offering insights relevant to both theory and advisory practice in emerging market environments. |
