The reputation of social and health care organizations has improved – the general public values the Blood Service the most
Reputation&Trust annual Reputation&Trust in the social and health care sector examined the public’s perceptions and views of organizations in the sector. Non-profit organizations, in particular, ranked at the top. The Finnish Red Cross Blood Service received the highest ratings in the entire survey, while Lääkärikeskus Aava was rated the best among private medical centers.
In contrast to the negative tone of public discourse surrounding the social and health care sector, the results of the latest study were more positive than before. As many as 80 percent of the organizations surveyed saw their reputation improve compared to the previous round of the study.
“The reputation of organizations in the social and health care sector has undergone a major shift over the past year. Although the sector’s overall reputation is still dominated by perceptions of the organizations with the poorest reputations, the actual reputations of individual organizations have improved significantly,” says Riku Ruokolahti, Development Director at T-Media.
Of the organizations surveyed, the general public rated the Finnish Red Cross Blood Service as the best, giving it a reputation score of 3.89 on a scale of one to five. MIELI Finnish Association for Mental Health came in second with a reputation score of 3.84, while the Finnish Diabetes Association and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare tied for third place with a score of 3.79. Among private medical centers, Aava Medical Center received the highest reputation score of 3.58. Esperi Care received the lowest score (1.87) in the study, though it, too, improved its results in line with the others.
“Finnish identity and family-owned businesses are factors that inspire trust across all sectors. We have a strong set of values and are committed to openness and transparency in our operations toward all stakeholders. It is rewarding to see that we are doing well in Reputation&Trust, but there is still room for improvement,” commented Raija Tapio, CEO of Lääkärikeskus Aava, on the company’s strong ranking.
The importance of openness and transparency in operations is becoming even more evident
The study also shows that openness and transparency in the operations of social and health care organizations have become more important factors than ever in building trust and fostering favorable behavior among stakeholders. However, the price of the services provided by the organization relative to their quality continues to be the biggest factor influencing favorable behavior.
“Reputation is truly critical capital for all actors in the social and health care sector, and it must be built actively and purposefully. Reputation management requires, above all, open and active communication, and reputation cannot be owned. It is built in collaboration with staff, other stakeholders, and the surrounding community,” summarizes Olli Holmström, CEO of the Deaconess Institute. Holmström delivered a speech at the event announcing the results.
Data collection for the social and health care sector reputation survey was conducted via an online questionnaire from March 23 to April 5, 2020. Organizations were evaluated Reputation&Trust T-Media’s Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different categories: corporate governance, finances, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. A total of 3,498 Finns participated in the survey.
The results have been compared with the corresponding reputation survey from the previous year, in which a total of 4,195 Finns participated in the spring of 2019. In both surveys, the target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The samples were weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.
Additional information:
Riku Ruokolahti, Director of Development
riku.ruokolahti@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com, 0400 512 200
Harri Leinikka, CEO
harri.leinikka@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com, 040 505 5001
[Photo: Olli Holmström, Deaconess Institute]
