The performance of company stocks is important information. But an organization’s communities, customers, environment, and more must be considered, too. That’s the purpose of the annual Just 100 list presented for a third year by Forbes and research partner Just Capital.

Just 100 offers a study on the concerns and issues most important to Americans. The ranking shows how the top U.S. publicly traded companies perform. Both General Motors and Ford appear on the list. But how did they do? Which one did better?

How General Motors ranks

The JUST rankings evaluate the top publicly traded companies in the areas of workers, customers, communities, environment, and shareholders.

General Motors appears on the 2020 overall JUST rankings in the 18th position. In four of the five areas of evaluation, GM exceeded the industry average. The only area where the automaker fell short was environment, which references how well the company works to reduce its environmental impact.

GM ranks first in its industry in both investing in its workforce and the value it provides shareholders. It ranks second in its industry when it comes to supporting its communities and how they treat customers. But, when you consider they were just above the industry average on customer care, it suggests some room for improvement there.

When taking a closer look at the customer ranking, the study found that General Motors did well when it came to transparency, protecting the privacy of customers, treating them with respect, and providing products with real value.

When it came to producing products safe for consumers and the environment and backing those products, their rankings weren’t as good.

How Ford ranks

Ford ranks 67th in the 2020 overall Just rankings. Like GM, Ford exceeded the industry average in four of the five areas of evaluation. The only area where Ford didn’t meet the industry average involved customers and how the company treated them.

Ford ranks first in its industry in how it supports its community. It ranks second in its industry for how well it invests in its workers and how well it works in trying to reduce its environmental impact. 

The automaker ranks below the industry average when it comes to customer care. When looking closer at the study, Ford ranks first in its industry when it comes to treating customers with respect and transparency, as well as providing products of real value to consumers.

The automaker did just enough to meet the industry average in the other areas, which included backing its products, incentive programs, producing products that are safe for consumers and the environment, and customer privacy protection. 

What Ford did better than GM

Even though Ford appeared much further down the ranking than GM, it did a couple of things better than GM.

When it comes to supporting communities, Ford didn’t beat GM by much but it excelled when it came to ensuring its workplace observes the basic rights of its workers and suppliers. Ford topped its industry in ensuring supplier workplaces also observed accepted workplace standards. It’s important to note that here, Ford placed ninth overall in the rankings.

Ford also ranks first in community support in its industry through donations, community programs, and volunteering initiatives. 

When it comes to communities, one area GM did excel in was supporting the advancement of its communities and the use of local products and resources. Here GM not only ranks first in its industry, but it also ties for first place overall.

Ford also ranks higher when it comes to the environment. Unlike GM, Ford’s efforts exceed the industry average. Ford ranks first in its industry for use of renewable energy, recycling, and prioritizing the efficiency of its resources.