Using Group Model Building to Foster Learning for Strategic Sustainable Development

Abstract

Capability for strategic planning and decision-making toward sustainability requires both individuals and organizations from different sectors and disciplines to develop necessary skills and competencies. Therefore, a growing discussion has emerged within academia and practice around how pedagogical methods and tools can be utilized for this purpose. This paper seeks to contribute to this discussion by asking ‘in which way may group model building be used to foster learning that leads to competency for strategic sustainable development?’. The potential of the group model building (GMB) process’ steps and associated modeling to foster learning for strategic sustainable development (SSD) was analyzed using four case examples. Theory on learning for sustainability and key sustainability competencies were linked to elements of a process for strategic planning toward sustainability within the framework for strategic sustainable development (FSSD) as a reference model. The results provide a discussion on how GMB can be utilized to foster sustainability competencies and learning for sustainability that can contribute to SSD, hence a basis for continued research and ideas for course and curriculum development.

Investigating effects of group model building on sustainable design decision-making

“…Using student case groups also provided an opportunity to reflect on the proposed utility of CAUSAL as a pedagogic tool to foster necessary sustainability skills in engineering education, e.g. (Watz, 2020). In total, 56 participants in 15 design teams from the four case groups participated in the workshop series.…”

Strategic Sustainability Risk Management in Product Development Companies: Key Aspects and Conceptual Approach

“…There is a multitude of ways in which the conceptual approach could be further developed and formed into a practically applicable method: (i) Mapping existing tools and methods that could facilitate the different steps. For example, group model building could be applied for the scenario modelling [45]. Connecting identified events to effects on stakeholder value creation or specific company objectives could be done through sustainability risk trees, similar to Palousis et al [29].…”