An extended TODIM method for hyperbolic fuzzy environments

Abstract

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods are increasingly being used to solve socio-economic problems; however, many real-world problems are characterised by high complexity and uncertainty. Hyperbolic fuzzy sets (HyFSs), a new extension of fuzzy sets, are able to deal with ambiguity effectively. They are more flexible than other fuzzy sets, and can model uncertainty better. This paper proposes a hybrid MCDM method based on the TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese for interactive and multiple attribute decision-making) approach in a hyperbolic fuzzy environment. One of the main elements of all MCDM methods is the decision matrix, but the construction of this matrix can be a subjective process. To address this issue, we propose a systematic approach based on the Kano model to make the process more objective. More specifically, we build a hyperbolic fuzzy decision matrix based on Kano-clustering of criteria for each alternative. We validate the effectiveness of our method by applying it to a sustainable supplier selection problem in the dairy industry. The results show that the proposed method can effectively deal with uncertainty and make better decisions in complex situations. We also conduct a sensitivity analysis to assess the impact of the decision-maker’s (DM's) psychological behavior on the ranking of the alternatives, and show that the proposed method is robust to these behaviors. The proposed method represents a promising approach to decision-making under conditions of uncertainty; it is easy to understand and implement, and is feasible for real-world applications.