Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is one of the main drivers of corporate reputation. Many studies show that CSR can positively affect financial performance (FP) and vice versa. However, the relationship between FP and CSR depends on the type of industry in which the company operates, and there is little research regarding the energy sector in this area. The basis of empirical research in this study is slack resource theory which argues that financial performance is the cause of corporate social performance. This paper aims to analyze if financial performance affects corporate social responsibility adoption in energy sector companies. In order to achieve this goal, the study specifically examines the relationship between selected financial performance indicators and CSR adoption. Analyzing an international sample of 219 companies from thirty-two countries for 2020, we observed the statistically significant relations between financial performance and the implementing of the CSR strategy of the energy industry companies. The Return on Assets measure (ROA) and the Earnings Before Interest and Taxes measure (EBIT) were significantly higher among companies implementing the CSR strategy. The Enterprise Value to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ratio (EV EBITDA) was lower among companies that adopted CSR. We did not confirm that the Return on Equity measure (ROE), Beta coefficient, and EBITDA per Share correlated with CSR adoption. Our research had implications for firms’ investment policies in social initiatives and highlighted the relation between the financial performance and CSR initiatives of the energy sector companies.

The substantial rise in hospital costs over recent years is associated with the rapid increase in the older age population. This study addresses an empirical gap in the literature concerning the determinants of high hospital costs in a group of older patients in Europe. The objective of the study is to examine the association of patient health status with in-hospital costs among older people across European countries. We used the data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) database. The analysis included 9671 patients from 18 European countries. We considered socio-demographic, lifestyle and clinical variables as possible factors influencing in-hospital costs. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the determinants of in-hospital costs. To benchmark the hospital costs across European countries, we used the cost-outlier methodology. Rates of hospital cost outliers among older people varies from 5.80 to 12.65% across Europe. Factors associated with extremely high in-patient costs differ among European countries. In most countries, they include the length of stay in the hospital, comorbidities, functional mobility and physical activity. The treatment of older people reporting heart attack, diabetes, chronic lung disease and cancer are more often connected with cost outliers. The risk of being a cost outlier increased by 20% with each day spent in the hospital. We advocate that including patient characteristics in the reimbursement system could provide a relatively simple strategy for reducing hospitals’ financial risk connected with exceptionally costly cases.

Energy use in hospitals is higher than in other public buildings, so improving energy efficiency in healthcare buildings is a significant challenge in this sector of engineering. For this, it is necessary to know the various determinants of energy consumption. Until now, the main factor affecting energy consumption in healthcare facilities studied in the literature was hospital capacity. However, the commonly used variables connected with hospital size and the number of beds do not take into account the medical activities carried out in these buildings. Assuming that energy consumption in hospitals is multiple and shaped by many factors that overlap, not only on an individual level but also on a higher scale level, this study devises a more integrated approach to its determinants. This study aims to investigate the determinants of electrical energy costs (EEC) and thermal energy costs (TEC) in Polish hospitals with regard to factors related to their size, work intensity and climate zones. The analysis was carried out using financial and resource data from all Polish hospitals for the years 2010–2019. The study used a multivariate backward stepwise regression analysis. In order to use climate as a moderating variable, a sample of Polish hospitals from 16 Polish NUTS 2 was divided into four climate zones. This article provides new empirical evidence on the determinants of electricity consumption in Polish hospitals related to their size and medical activity, taking into account climate zone as a moderating variable. The results of the analysis show that both electricity and heat consumption in hospitals are positively related to the number of doctors, beds and the number of medical operations performed. As expected, larger hospitals seem to use more energy. Moreover, there is regional heterogeneity in energy consumption in hospitals related to the climatic zone in which they operate. The conducted analysis shows that Polish hospitals located in the warmest climatic zone are characterized by higher energy consumption than hospitals in the coldest zone. It especially regards EEC in surgery hospitals. The warmer the climate zones, the higher intensity in terms of the number of surgeries, the higher EEC. In terms of nonsurgical hospitals, the influence of climate zone on EEC was not observed. Knowing the factors influencing energy consumption in hospitals can facilitate the correct adoption of an energy-saving strategy in the health sector, which is a reasonable response to climate change and supports a healthy and sustainable future.

In the construction sector, hospitals are the buildings with the highest energy consumption. Due to the high demand for energy, hospitals’ energy efficiency is becoming very important. This study aims to examine the trends and factors that determine energy consumption in Polish hospitals from 2010 to 2019, highlighting the impact of hospital size and medical activities on energy efficiency. The analysis was carried out using data from 3061 hospital reports obtained from the e-Health Center, a state budgetary unit established by the Minister of Health. To measure and compare the efficiency of energy usage in hospitals, we developed eight energy usage efficiency indexes based on hospital size and medical activity. The size of the hospitals was described by the number of beds, operation rooms, doctors, nurses, and fixed assets value. Hospital activity was measured by the number of person-days, patients, and operations. Statistical analysis was carried out using StatSoft Statistica software version 13.3. The results show that larger hospitals are more energy efficient across various measures of energy use than smaller hospitals. The findings revealed also several important relationships between energy usage and factors connected with size and hospital activity, such as the number of beds, patients and person-days, medical staff, operations, and fixed asset values, underscoring the necessity for customizing energy efficiency strategies. This research contributes empirical insights that can guide policymakers and hospital administrators in their endeavors to improve energy efficiency and promote sustainability within healthcare facilities.