TY - JOUR
T1 - Barriers to Sustainable Practices of Small Health?Care Facilities
T2 - A Case Study of a Physiotherapy Centre in Hong Kong
AU - Chu, Kevin W.K.
AU - Cheung, Lenis L.W.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc..
PY - 2017/12
Y1 - 2017/12
N2 - SMEs account for over 90 percent of businesses and for the majority of gross domestic product, wealth, and employment creation, and thus have significant social and environmental impacts. However, most of these businesses have not yet mastered ways of implementing sustainability practices. This article explores the potential barriers that prevent SMEs from improving sustainability performances through a study of a physiotherapy center in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of existing practices, which were put under the lens of a sustainability maturity level model. Challenges in relation to the leadership, guideline developments, communications, and measurements were then highlighted. The results provide insight into barriers to sustainable practices of small health-care facilities and shed light on ways they could move forward with the targeted sustainability initiatives. The results may also be applicable to SMEs in other sectors.
AB - SMEs account for over 90 percent of businesses and for the majority of gross domestic product, wealth, and employment creation, and thus have significant social and environmental impacts. However, most of these businesses have not yet mastered ways of implementing sustainability practices. This article explores the potential barriers that prevent SMEs from improving sustainability performances through a study of a physiotherapy center in Hong Kong. Semistructured interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of existing practices, which were put under the lens of a sustainability maturity level model. Challenges in relation to the leadership, guideline developments, communications, and measurements were then highlighted. The results provide insight into barriers to sustainable practices of small health-care facilities and shed light on ways they could move forward with the targeted sustainability initiatives. The results may also be applicable to SMEs in other sectors.
KW - SMEs, sustainable practices
KW - barriers
KW - health-care management
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85038429235&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/sus.2017.0017
DO - 10.1089/sus.2017.0017
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85038429235
SN - 1937-0695
VL - 10
SP - 352
EP - 358
JO - Sustainability (United States)
JF - Sustainability (United States)
IS - 6
ER -
