A SIMPLE APPROACH FOR MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION-MAKING ON BASIS OF PROBABILITY THEORY

This article highlights and discusses the critical role of leadership for effectively managing and achieving project results. As opposed to the conventional and once dominating thinking of project management which linked project success to project technicalities, this article considers project leadership a central issue for project success or failure. The article stipulates that, despite the strategic importance of robust project management techniques in effectively controlling and executing activities, at the absence of proper project leadership skills approaches may render a project to leadership related failures. To appreciate the role of leadership towards project success, this article highlights and discusses different elements of project leadership and management—including blueprint and adaptive approaches, similarities and differences between management and leadership—and how they interact towards effective project management; leadership theories, styles and skills required for effective project leadership and management. The article concludes that generally project leadership is a critical factor towards project success without undermining the importance of conventional project management methodologies, tools and software. Such understanding demonstrates clearly that, to be successful, project managers are obliged to employ holistic and integrative methodologies and approaches necessary for making their projects more relevant and sustainable; taking into account that there is no one single project management and leadership approach or style that is superior to the rest. Last but not least, as it is the case with management aspect, project leadership needs to be a continuous process to be employed at different stages of the project cycle management.

The issue of providing information needs of project manager requires special attention. The choice of the optimal software tool is very important in IT project management systems. Over time, projects are becoming more complex, performed in different parts of the globe. Project manager analyzes a huge amount of information and makes decisions. It is proposed to evaluate and select the software tools of modern information technology project management systems based on the substantiation and study of quality criteria, such as crossplatform, reliability, versatility, interface intuition and price. The basic stages of the formation of integrated criterion of evaluation of software are presented. The effective management of a project in the field of information technology depends on the organization and planning of processes in projects, including the presentation of information in a userfriendly form of guidance. The choice of software for IT project management systems is based on the study of software evaluation criteria that are interconnected. When choosing a software tool in the IT management system, it is necessary to consider quality indicators from the point of view of a user, that is, project manager. This approach ensures effective management of IT project and reduces overutilization of resources in the project as well as time. The given research gives an opportunity to provide the choice of the optimum software in the systems of management of IT project. Conclusions are made about the possibility of improving the management of the project in terms of resource, budget and time constraints.

Archimedean [formula omitted]-norm and [formula omitted]-conorm coupled q-rung orthopair fuzzy TOPSIS method for unknown criteria weighting information

Decision-making is increasingly guided by the integration of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and Machine Learning (ML) approaches. Despite their complementary strengths, the literature lacks clarity on which forms of integration exist, what contributions they offer, and how to determine the most effective form for a given decision problem. This study systematically investigates integration modes through a methodology that combines a literature review, expert judgment, and statistical analyses. It develops a novel categorization of integration modes based on methodological characteristics, resulting in five distinct modes: sequential approaches (ML → MCDM and MCDM → ML), hybrid integration (MCDM + ML), and performance comparison approaches, including ML vs. MCDM and ML vs. ML evaluated through MCDM. In addition, new evaluation criteria are introduced to ensure rigor, comparability, and reliability in assessing integration forms. By applying correspondence, cluster, and discriminant analyses, the study reveals distinctive patterns, relationships, and gaps across integration modes. The primary outcome is a novel evidence-based framework designed to guide researchers and practitioners in selecting the appropriate integration modes based on problem characteristics, methodological requirements, and application context. The findings reveal that sequential approaches (ML → MCDM and MCDM → ML) are most appropriate when efficiency, structured decision workflows, bias reduction, minimal human intervention, and the management of complex multi-variable decision problems are key objectives. Hybrid integration (MCDM + ML) is better suited to dynamic and data-rich environments that require flexibility, continuous adaptation, and a high level of automation. Performance comparison approaches are most appropriate for validation-oriented studies that evaluate outputs (MCDM[ML vs. ML]) and benchmark alternative methods (ML vs. MCDM), thereby supporting reliable method selection. Furthermore, the study underscores the predominance of integration modes that combine value-based MCDM methods with classification-based ML algorithms, particularly for enhancing interpretability. Environmental science and healthcare emerge as leading domains of adoption, primarily due to their high data complexity and the need to balance diverse, multi-criteria stakeholder requirements.

The costs of purchased goods, equipment and services typically account for well over half the direct costs of a project. Thus efficient purchasing and contract control is an essential component of cost control. An effective project manager or project management office (PMO) will ensure that regular communications are established between project control staff and other departments in the organization. The cost engineering function in the PMO will ensure that the project manager is kept aware of costs spent and committed in relation to budgets. Cash is the lifeblood of an organization. Without cash in the bank a company cannot operate. Cash is needed to pay for the provision and upkeep of premises, pay staff wages and salaries and settle bills from the suppliers of goods and services on time. Good practice will limit the number of people in an organization who are allowed to put their signature to documents such as petty cash vouchers, service contracts and purchase orders.

This paper aims to develop the extension of intersection method for multi-objective optimization under condition of interval number. Based on the linear correlation of partial favourable probability and the corresponding performance indicator, and the assumption of uniform distribution of the actual value of performance indicator within the range of its lower and upper limits in case of interval number, it derives that the actual partial favourable probability of a performance indicator is the arithmetic mean value of the partial favourable probabilities of the arithmetic mean value and the variation value of the interval index of the corresponding performance indicator for each candidate, or their desired sum. Furthermore, according to the rule of algorithm for the total favourable probability quantitatively, all candidates are ranked according to their total favourable probabilities to complete the multi- objective optimization in case of interval number. As applications, the quantitative assessments of multi-criteria selections for effective dwelling house walls, project managers and contractor for construction works are given in detail, satisfied results are obtained.

The Nigerian housing project setting has been marred with challenges which have continuously led to project under-performance and failure. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is presented as a strategy to mitigate the challenges. CSR which deals with housing project firms’ responsibilities in service delivery towards shareholders, stakeholders and society comprises a landscape of theories. The absence of CSR application towards solving housing project life cycle challenges presented a gap which informed the study. Variables are presented in a suitable and explored framework with a view to examining the potentials of CSR as a panacea to the challenges. This study presents stakeholder and ethical theories as the underpinning theories for the application of CSR in the management of housing projects along the project life cycle phases. Stakeholder theory states that firms’ owe a responsibility to a wider group of stakeholders, other than just shareholders. Ethical theory of CSR applies to housing projects as ethics help to guide the practice of various stakeholders involved in the process of housing project management. Methodology used was a review of documented evidence from related literature. This study found that CSR application in Nigerian housing projects, although rudimentary has yielded positives when implemented. Proper CSR application in housing projects has the capacity to mitigate housing project challenges across each project life cycle phase. This study also recommends the proposition of CSR application in effective housing project management as a standard being a panacea to existing challenges. Keywords: Corporate social responsibility, Housing project, Theories, Framework DOI: 10.7176/CER/12-6-04 Publication date: June 30 th 2020

In manufacturing firms, there is a critical need for proper maintenance of manufacturing facilities. The maintenance process enhances customer satisfaction and reliability of the products, and increases the profit of the manufacturer. Therefore, a proper maintenance policy selection is a critical issue for manufacturers, as an inefficient maintenance policy affects not only the direct cost of the firm but also the other aspects. In the present study, maintenance policy selection at the level of the firm rather than the equipment level is shown, and for selection various criteria have been identified. The presented work not only provides the best alternatives but also provides an alternative ranking, which facilitates decision-makers in choosing alternatives according to their constraints. These selection criteria are different in nature, as some give a crisp value, whereas others are defined in linguistic terms. To select the appropriate maintenance policy, a distance-based fuzzy multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approach has been employed. The proposed method provides the means for integrating the economic figure of merit with the strategic performance variables. The MCDM approach is efficient in incorporating data, in the form of linguistic variables, triangular fuzzy numbers, and crisp numbers, into the evaluation process of maintenance policy alternatives. A comprehensive example illustrates the application of the distance-based fuzzy MCDM approach.

Sustainable practices are essential for long-term societal development, minimizing environmental impacts while promoting the efficient use of resources. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches can play a vital role in assessing and prioritizing sustainability solutions by considering diverse economic, social, and environmental factors. This study proposes a multi-criteria group decision-making approach based on the Objective Pairwise Adjusted Ratio Analysis (OPARA) method in a fuzzy environment and presents its application for the assessment of sustainable agriculture solutions. In the proposed approach, the evaluation criteria weights are determined by combining subjective weights from experts and objective weights obtained from the MEREC (Method Based on the Removal Effects of Criteria) method. The Relative Preference Relation (RPR) approach is employed for ranking fuzzy numbers and final evaluation. Sensitivity analysis and comparison with other methods are conducted to assess the robustness and validity of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in evaluating solutions. Based on the final evaluation from the case study, the most important criteria are “Availability and quality of water”, “Focus on immediate economic returns”, and “Financial incentives and access to credit”, while the most suitable solutions for advancing sustainable agriculture are “Financial and credit support”, “Education and enhancement of farmers’ knowledge”, and “Enhancement of research and development”.

The impact of selected components of industry 4.0 on project management

Purpose – The paper aims to present a general overview of modern project management and the issues associated with identifying a rapid, effective and cost efficient solution to developing effective project managers. The piece discusses the advantages of taking a blended training approach as a method to support both knowledge delivery and skills attainment.

A study to determine what skills and traits make effective project managers was conducted. A questionnaire was developed and distributed across the country to office managers of an engineering organization involved in the transportation field. The questionnaire contains 13 questions. The first 11 questions consist of determining the degree to which the respondent agrees or disagrees with the statement. Question 12 asks the respondent to rank seven items in order of importance. The last question is open ended, intended to draw out the unique and not‐so‐obvious thoughts about effective project management. The results are systematized. Conclusions are drawn from the tabulated results and recommendations are offered. The problem of project managers becoming “bogged down” and running out of time and money is evident from the survey. An effective project manager needs to delegate and maintain control of the project. One type of delegation can be achieved through ajob enrichment program. The report also contains other development techniques that can help build a successful and effective project manager.

Archimedean [formula omitted]-norm and [formula omitted]-conorm based intuitionistic fuzzy WASPAS method to evaluate health-care waste disposal alternatives with unknown weight information

Project management (PM) is increasingly important in both corporate and academic venues. Its importance has been recognized for several decades, but has recently received more attention because effective project managers are in high demand and short supply. University computing and engineering programs are being pressured by employers to better prepare students for project management positions and this has often resulted in student exposure to project management concepts in one or more courses. More graduate and undergraduate courses in project management are also being offered at colleges and universities because Information Systems (IS) curricula models specify exposure to project management. The present investigation focuses on how exposure to a project management course affects student perceptions of the overall importance of project management and the subject areas that project management subsumes. Student perceptions were assessed by surveying undergraduate students at a regional institution in the southeast U.S. at the beginning and end of a Project Management course. The results suggest that students exit the project management courses thinking that the subject matter is important and will contribute to career success. The results also suggest that the project management course has an especially strong impact on the perceptions of female students and that the course and that it significantly increases the perceived importance of multiple ”hard” and “soft” course-related topics.

Digital transformation is penetrating all areas of activities. This process is irreversible and poses challenges to businesses. The leading role for the successful digital transformation of small and medium-sized businesses is played by effective project management. The purpose of the article is to study the role of project management in the digital transformation of small and medium- sized businesses, to identify the key issues and the scenario of transformation, to outline the portrait of a project manager. Methods used: analysisб synthesis, graphic methods, the method of establishing cause-and-effect relationships. As a research result, theoretical aspects of project management and trends in understanding its role in the digital transformation of businesses were determined. The key questions for project management are outlined and its scenario is defined. The key skills and qualities of an effective project manager are described. The innovative potential of project management is considered. The scientific novelty of the research consists in clarifying the aspects necessary for effective project management, taking into account the trends in economic and sustainable development. The practical significance of the research results lies in outlining the areas of activity and improving the professional and extra-professional skills of project managers in the process of digital transformation.