Board Dynamics and Integrity Transparency in Healthcare: A Conceptual Framework for Online Disclosure Governance in Malaysian Private Hospitals

Abstract

Ethical transparency in the private healthcare sector is a growing concern, particularly in Malaysia, where governance disclosures on hospital websites remain inconsistent. Despite regulatory advancements, limited studies have examined the influence of board-level governance and human governance attributes on the disclosure of integrity-related information in digital platforms. This study aims to conceptualize a governance-integrity framework that integrates board characteristics, human governance, audit risk committee effectiveness, and ownership concentration as key drivers of online integrity disclosure. Using a narrative review methodology, the study systematically analysed 19 peer-reviewed articles sourced from the Scopus database. Thematic synthesis was applied to identify conceptual patterns across governance practices, ethical leadership traits, and digital reporting behaviours. Findings suggest that while board structure and independence play foundational roles, human governance which include ethical values and professional background of board members, exerts a significant yet underexplored influence. The audit risk committee was found to mediate governance effectiveness, while ownership concentration moderated transparency outcomes. This framework contributes theoretically by extending agency and stakeholder theory into the digital disclosure. Practically, it recommends the formal integration of human governance indicators into board assessment tools and the strategic implementation of digital integrity dashboards on hospital websites. This study offers new insight into how healthcare institutions can improve ethical accountability by addressing governance mechanisms holistically.