Modelling the factors in implementation of environmental sustainability in healthcare organisations

Abstract

Purpose

Environmental sustainability (ES) is an increasing tendency in the healthcare industry as it seeks to enhance the environmental friendliness and reduces waste in operations to save money. The objective of research article is to identify the factors that contribute to improving the performance of ES in hospitals. Understanding the factors that contribute to the improvement of healthcare services may be helpful for practitioners, who need to address and implement an effective framework to enable an environment-friendly practice in hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study utilised the technique called total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) to identify the factors and understand the interconnection between the identified factors. A literature review revealed 12 factors, which were then refined with the input of hospital experts. Based on a questionnaire survey, a planned interview is conducted in chosen Indian hospitals. The matrix impact cross multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) study employs dependency and driving power to identify the hierarchical relationship between the detected factors.

Findings

Green building initiatives, water consumption, resource usage, and renewable energy were identified as key factors in the study. Other factors such as staff behaviour, procurement of goods and management of hazardous substance would be influenced by these fundamental components. With the implementation of green initiatives in the hospital, ES is primarily used to reduce the excessive use of scarce resources.

Practical implications

The ES programme begins at the hospital grounds, with awareness and specific training provided to all personnel, including doctors, nurses, and managers at all levels. The training programme is intended to raise awareness; sessions are divided into targeted groups; a new organisational structure is created; and a consultant agent is hired to commence ES.

Originality/value

Existing literature has focussed mostly on ES factors such as carbon emissions, water conservation, and effective waste disposal, while ignoring organisational viewpoints and their interrelationships. As a result, the current study used TISM to show the relationship between various organisational and environmental perspective components in order to comprehend the reasoning behind improving performance.

Citation

Vaishnavi, V. and Suresh, M. (2023), "Modelling the factors in implementation of environmental sustainability in healthcare organisations", Management of Environmental Quality, Vol. 34 No. 1, pp. 137-158. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-10-2021-0243