Identification and prioritisation of the critical success factors for research project-based organisations using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to identify and prioritise critical success factors (CSFs) of research project-based organisations in the context of Iran using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) technique. In order to do so, at the first step based on an in-depth review of the relevant literature a questionnaire and holding interviews with the experts of this domain a questionnaire was designed and distributed among professionals and its validity and reliability was investigated and confirmed, leading to the structural tree of the model. Then, the second questionnaire in the form paired-wise comparison was designed, and the weights and ranking of the main CSFs and their related sub-factors were calculated using fuzzy AHP technique and expert choice software. Results reveal that the 'project factors' with a weight of 0.445 is the most important factor among the other identified factors, namely, 'personality factors', 'organisational factors' and 'environmental factors'.