Utilizing the Hierarchy Structural Fuzzy Analytical Network Process Model to Evaluate Critical Elements of Marketing Strategic Alliance Development in Mobile Telecommunication Industry

Abstract

Extant studies on marketing strategic alliance development lack systematic measurement models; consequently, they cannot provide a holistic picture of the relationship evaluation stage. In addition, it is difficult to clearly understand the interactive effects between the critical elements of marketing strategic alliance development. Therefore, this study proposes a systematic measurement model, called the hierarchy structural fuzzy analytical network process model (H-S FANP model), to evaluate the correlation, interaction, and mutual dependence of the critical elements at the evaluation stage. This model combines four methods, i.e., the interpretation of structural model, Matrice d’ Impacts Croises Multiplication Appliquee a un Classement, fuzzy linguistic preference relations, and analytical network process (ANP), to overcome various problems encountered when using the conventional ANP. To illustrate how the H-S FANP model can be applied, this study uses the mobile telecommunications industry in Taiwan as an empirical subject. The findings show that the H-S FANP model can assist the mobile telecommunications industry in its long-term marketing strategic alliance development and help decision-makers in improving their evaluation quality and calculation efficiency when analyzing critical elements during the evaluation stage of development.