Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices
BackgroundThe cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative pillars of institutions influence the ability of hospitals to change how they function at an organizational and operational level. As more hospitals and their foodservices instigate changes to address their environmental footprint and impact...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.905932/full |
| _version_ | 1818056509837279232 |
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| author | Stefanie Carino Stefanie Carino Jorja Collins Jorja Collins Shirin Malekpour Judi Porter Judi Porter |
| author_facet | Stefanie Carino Stefanie Carino Jorja Collins Jorja Collins Shirin Malekpour Judi Porter Judi Porter |
| author_sort | Stefanie Carino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundThe cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative pillars of institutions influence the ability of hospitals to change how they function at an organizational and operational level. As more hospitals and their foodservices instigate changes to address their environmental footprint and impact on food systems, they move through the “sustainability phase model” from no response through to high level action and leadership. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the pillars of institutions between hospitals in different stages of achieving environmentally sustainable foodservices (business-as-usual vs. exemplar hospitals).MethodsFor this qualitative inquiry study, interviews were conducted with 33 hospital staff from 3 business-as-usual hospitals in Melbourne, Australia and 21 hospital staff from 14 exemplar hospitals across 9 countries. Participants were asked questions about their perspectives on environmental sustainability in foodservices and the barriers, enablers and drivers they experienced. Each data set was analyzed thematically and then compared.FindingsThere was a clear and distinct difference in responses and behaviors within each pillar between the exemplar and business-as-usual hospitals. The cultural-cognitive pillar identified a similarity in personal belief in the importance of addressing environmental impacts of foodservices, but difference in how staff saw and acted on their responsibility to drive change. The normative pillar uncovered a supportive culture that encouraged change in exemplar hospitals whilst business-as-usual hospital staff felt disheartened by the difficult processes and lack of support. The regulative pillar reflected business-as-usual hospital staff feeling restricted by government policy vs. exemplar hospital participants who were motivated to internalize government policy in different ways and work with other hospitals to advocate for better policy.InterpretationThese findings highlight strategies related to each of the three pillars of institutions that can be used to drive effective, sustainable long term change within hospitals. This includes staff education and training, revisiting hospital culture and values around environmental sustainability, embedding sustainable foodservices in internal policies, and a comprehensive government policy approach to sustainable healthcare. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:29:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b04b4e825789401e8f3f9ce8d8503e7f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:29:59Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-b04b4e825789401e8f3f9ce8d8503e7f2022-12-22T01:48:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2022-09-01910.3389/fnut.2022.905932905932Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservicesStefanie Carino0Stefanie Carino1Jorja Collins2Jorja Collins3Shirin Malekpour4Judi Porter5Judi Porter6Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, AustraliaDietetics Department, Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, AustraliaDietetics Department, Eastern Health, Box Hill, VIC, AustraliaMonash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, AustraliaDepartment of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Notting Hill, VIC, AustraliaSchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, AustraliaBackgroundThe cultural-cognitive, normative and regulative pillars of institutions influence the ability of hospitals to change how they function at an organizational and operational level. As more hospitals and their foodservices instigate changes to address their environmental footprint and impact on food systems, they move through the “sustainability phase model” from no response through to high level action and leadership. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the pillars of institutions between hospitals in different stages of achieving environmentally sustainable foodservices (business-as-usual vs. exemplar hospitals).MethodsFor this qualitative inquiry study, interviews were conducted with 33 hospital staff from 3 business-as-usual hospitals in Melbourne, Australia and 21 hospital staff from 14 exemplar hospitals across 9 countries. Participants were asked questions about their perspectives on environmental sustainability in foodservices and the barriers, enablers and drivers they experienced. Each data set was analyzed thematically and then compared.FindingsThere was a clear and distinct difference in responses and behaviors within each pillar between the exemplar and business-as-usual hospitals. The cultural-cognitive pillar identified a similarity in personal belief in the importance of addressing environmental impacts of foodservices, but difference in how staff saw and acted on their responsibility to drive change. The normative pillar uncovered a supportive culture that encouraged change in exemplar hospitals whilst business-as-usual hospital staff felt disheartened by the difficult processes and lack of support. The regulative pillar reflected business-as-usual hospital staff feeling restricted by government policy vs. exemplar hospital participants who were motivated to internalize government policy in different ways and work with other hospitals to advocate for better policy.InterpretationThese findings highlight strategies related to each of the three pillars of institutions that can be used to drive effective, sustainable long term change within hospitals. This includes staff education and training, revisiting hospital culture and values around environmental sustainability, embedding sustainable foodservices in internal policies, and a comprehensive government policy approach to sustainable healthcare.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.905932/fullfoodserviceenvironmental sustainabilityhospitalschangequalitative study |
| spellingShingle | Stefanie Carino Stefanie Carino Jorja Collins Jorja Collins Shirin Malekpour Judi Porter Judi Porter Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices Frontiers in Nutrition foodservice environmental sustainability hospitals change qualitative study |
| title | Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| title_full | Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| title_fullStr | Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| title_full_unstemmed | Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| title_short | Harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| title_sort | harnessing the pillars of institutions to drive environmentally sustainable hospital foodservices |
| topic | foodservice environmental sustainability hospitals change qualitative study |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.905932/full |
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