Study Design

2.1.

Study Design

We relied on a structured decision-making (SDM) approach, which is based on the principles of cognitive psychology and group dynamics.5 This approach offers decision-makers a way of formulating complex organizational decisions that involve multiple objectives and a wide range of stakeholders. To do this, the SDM process helps decision-makers identify their stakeholders’ key priorities regarding a sustainability decision and identify an appropriate set of metrics to track progress in these areas. This method was initially developed in response to the need for decision-making tools to help guide more inclusive, and ultimately more meaningful, stakeholder involvement in organizational decisions. This method has since been successfully applied in a wide range of sustainability-related decision contexts.6

We applied the SDM method to identify stakeholders’ key priorities regarding Ford’s social impacts and to then translate these priorities into metrics to aid company decision-making. We collected data through a series of stakeholder workshops within and outside Ford, in the U.S. and internationally, to identify what these priority impacts are and how to measure them. This study was conducted in two phases: SDM workshops (Phase 1) and metric development (Phase 2). Both were informed by an ongoing and iterative review of the literature on mobility and sustainability. The study’s scope included the company’s social impacts (positive or negative) that stem from its operations, philanthropic activity and product use—and that affect its employees, dealers, customers and community members. Although we did not include supplier impacts in our analysis (due to the project’s limited time frame), the method we followed here may be readily applied at this level in the future and incorporated into the model.

5 Gregory, R., Failing, L., Harstone, M., Long, G., McDaniels, T., & Ohlson, D. (2012).

Structured decision making: A practical guide to environmental management choices.

John Wiley & Sons: Chichester. 6 e.g. Kenney, L., Árvai, J., Vardhan, M., & Catacutan, D. (2015). Bringing stakeholder values into climate risk management programs: Decision aiding for REDD in Vietnam.

Society & Natural Resources, 28 (3): 261-279; Bessette, D., & Árvai, J. (2018).

Engaging attribute tradeoffs in clean energy portfolio development. Energy Policy, 115: 221-229.