Exploring ESG Disclosure: What? And Why? A Study of Leading European Public Hospitals

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/2391-6478.3.43.08

Keywords:

sustainability disclosure, public hospitals, environmental, social and governance (ESG), European Union, content analysis

Abstract

Abstract

The purpose of the article. This article aims to examine the sustainability disclosure practices of public hospitals within the European Union. It aims to identify the scope and trends in environmental, social and governance (ESG) information reported by these hospitals on their official websites and analyze the influence of national frameworks on these practices.

Methodology. The study employs a manual content analysis of the official websites of 50 public hospitals from EU Member States, selected from Newsweek’s The World’s Best Hospitals 2024 list. An ESG Disclosure Index (ESG DI) was developed to evaluate the extent of sustainability information disclosed. The index includes 36 items across various sustainability dimensions.

Results of the research. The results show that the surveyed hospitals disclosed an average of 48% of the ESG metrics. Governance issues were disclosed the most (59%), followed by social (52%) and environmental (47%) dimensions. Scandinavian hospitals had a higher level of disclosure than their Southern European counterparts. The study highlights the fragmented nature of sustainability disclosure, which tends to report better performing indicators while selectively omitting others.

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References

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Andrades Peña, F.J., Larrán Jorge, M., Muriel De Los Reyes, M.J., & Calzado Cejas, M.Y. (2020). Influential Variables of Sustainability Disclosures by Spanish Public Hospitals. Public Performance & Management Review, 43(6), 1390–1412. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2020.1765816
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Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

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Higgins, C., & Coffey, B. (2016). Improving how sustainability reports drive change: A critical discourse analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 136, 18–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.01.101
Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

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Google Scholar

Manes-Rossi, F., Nicolò, G., & Argento, D. (2020). Non-financial reporting formats in public sector organizations: A structured literature review. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Fi-nancial Management, 32(4), 639–669. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-03-2020-0037
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Manes-Rossi, F., Nicolò, G., Tiron Tudor, A., & Zanellato, G. (2021). Drivers of integrated report-ing by state-owned enterprises in Europe: A longitudinal analysis. Meditari Accountancy Re-search, 29(3), 586–616. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEDAR-07-2019-0532
Google Scholar

Marasca, S., Montanini, L., D’Andrea, A., & Cerioni, E. (2020). The how and why of integrated reporting in a public health care organization: The stakeholders’ perspective. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(4), 1714–1722. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2463
Google Scholar

Menicucci, E., & Paolucci, G. (2018). Forward-looking information in integrated reporting: A theo-retical framework. African Journal of Business Management, 12(18), 555–567. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM2018.8643
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Monfardini, P., Barretta, A.D., & Ruggiero, P. (2013). Seeking legitimacy: Social reporting in the healthcare sector. Accounting Forum, 37(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accfor.2012.11.001
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Nicolo, G., Zanellato, G., Manes-Rossi, F., & Tiron-Tudor, A. (2021). Corporate reporting meta-morphosis: Empirical findings from state-owned enterprises. Public Money & Management, 41(2), 138–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1719633
Google Scholar

Niemann, L., & Hoppe, T. (2018). Sustainability reporting by local governments: A magic tool? Lessons on use and usefulness from European pioneers. Public Management Review, 20(1), 201–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2017.1293149
Google Scholar

Oddo, A.R. (2001). Healthcare Ethics: A Patient-Centered Decision Model. Journal of Business Ethics, 29(1/2), 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006407312383
Google Scholar

Pizzi, S., Caputo, F., & Venturelli, A. (2020). Accounting to ensure healthy lives: Critical perspec-tive from the Italian National Healthcare System. Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, 20(3), 445–460. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-03-2019-0109
Google Scholar

Raimo, N., De Turi, I., Albergo, F., & Vitolla, F. (2023). The drivers of the digital transformation in the healthcare industry: An empirical analysis in Italian hospitals. Technovation, 121, 102558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2022.102558
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Google Scholar

Royo, S., Yetano, A., & García-Lacalle, J. (2019). Accountability Styles in State-Owned enterprises: The good, the bad, the ugly ... and the pretty. Revista de Contabilidad, 22(2), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.6018/rcsar.382231
Google Scholar

Ruiz-Lozano, M., Navarro-Galera, A., Tirado-Valencia, P., & De Los Ríos-Berjillos, A. (2019). Can the cultural environment affect governmental transparency on sustainability? Useful measures for policy makers and practitioners. Local Government Studies, 45(4), 481–503. https://doi.org/10.1080/03003930.2018.1560271
Google Scholar

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2024-09-27

How to Cite

Wójtowicz, K., & Wójtowicz, J. (2024). Exploring ESG Disclosure: What? And Why? A Study of Leading European Public Hospitals. Journal of Finance and Financial Law, 3(43), 139–156. https://doi.org/10.18778/2391-6478.3.43.08

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