Importance Of Decision Criteria Research Articles

Using FANP approach on selection of competitive priorities based on cleaner production implementation: a case study in PCB manufacturer, Taiwan

The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss some of the important and critical decision criteria including cleaner production implementation of an efficient system to prioritize competitive priorities. Fuzzy analytic network process (FANP) based methodology is discussed to tackle the different decision criteria involved in the selection of competitive priorities in current business scenario. FANP is an efficient tool to handle the fuzziness of the data involved in deciding the preferences of different decision variables. The linguistic level of comparisons produced by the professionals and experts for each comparison are tapped in the form of triangular fuzzy numbers to construct fuzzy pairwise comparison matrices. The implementation of the system is demonstrated by a problem having four stages of hierarchy which contains different criteria, attributes and alternatives at wider perspective. The proposed model can provide a hierarchical framework for the cleaner production implemented organization to select on its competitive priorities.

Organizational Buyer Behavior of Caribbean Food and Beverage Importers

This paper examines the behavior of Caribbean importers with respect to the purchase of branded food and beverage products manufactured in the Canadian province of Ontario. The determinants of the import purchase decision are identified, and the import response of buyers to changes in the importance rating of key purchase criteria is quantified. The study is based on personal interviews with forty-eight Caribbean food and beverage purchasing executives. The results indicate that price and requests from local customers are the most important decision criteria used by Caribbean importers. Also, firms with a recent history of importing Ontario food and beverage products place a higher level of importance on brand image and package design. A one-unit decrease in the importance rating of the packaging design variable was found to increase the odds of a firm importing from Ontario by thirty percent.

Global supplier development considering risk factors using fuzzy extended AHP-based approach

Global supplier development is a multi-criterion decision problem which includes both qualitative and quantitative factors. The global supplier selection problem is more complex than domestic one and it needs more critical analysis. The aim of this paper is to identify and discuss some of the important and critical decision criteria including risk factors for the development of an efficient system for global supplier selection. Fuzzy extended analytic hierarchy process (FEAHP) based methodology will be discussed to tackle the different decision criteria like cost, quality, service performance and supplier's profile including the risk factors involved in the selection of global supplier in the current business scenario. FEAHP is an efficient tool to handle the fuzziness of the data involved in deciding the preferences of different decision variables. The linguistic level of comparisons produced by the customers and experts for each comparison are tapped in the form triangular fuzzy numbers to construct fuzzy pair-wise comparison matrices. The implementation of the system is demonstrated by a problem having four stages of hierarchy which contains different criteria and attributes at wider perspective. The proposed model can provide not only a framework for the organization to select the global supplier but also has the capability to deploy the organization's strategy to its supplier.

Rank reversals in multi-criteria decision analysis with statistical modelling of ratio-scale pairwise comparisons

In multi-criteria decision analysis, the overall performance of decision alternatives is evaluated with respect to several, generally conflicting decision criteria. One approach to perform the multi-criteria decision analysis is to use ratio-scale pairwise comparisons concerning the performance of decision alternatives and the importance of decision criteria. In this approach, a classical problem has been the phenomenon of rank reversals. In particular, when a new decision alternative is added to a decision problem, and while the assessments concerning the original decision alternatives remain unchanged, the new alternative may cause rank reversals between the utility estimates of the original decision alternatives. This paper studies the connections between rank reversals and the potential inconsistency of the utility assessments in the case of ratio-scale pairwise comparisons data. The analysis was carried out by recently developed statistical modelling techniques so that the inconsistency of the assessments was measured according to statistical estimation theory. Several type of decision problems were analysed and the results showed that rank reversals caused by inconsistency are natural and acceptable. On the other hand, rank reversals caused by the traditional arithmetic-mean aggregation rule are not in line with the ratio-scale measurement of utilities, whereas geometric-mean aggregation does not cause undesired rank reversals.

Dove vs. Dior: Extending the Brand Extension Decision-Making Process from Mass to Luxury

This paper furthers the understanding of the decision process used by managers when extending their brands. In particular, we investigate the extent to which the model of extension decision process outlined by Ambler and Styles (1997) for fast moving consumer goods is relevant to the luxury sector. We find that the broad structure and components of the A & S model extend to the luxury sector. However, some modifications are required to reflect the differences between luxury and fast moving consumer goods. In contrast with fast moving consumer goods, growth, rather than defence, is the main driver for extending luxury brands. The marketing function, rather than R&D, has the strongest influence on brand extension decisions in the luxury sector. Tradition and brand heritage are identified by luxury goods experts both as the first driver and an important decision criterion for brand extensions.

Whatever Happened to Publish or Perish?

When I began my career as an academic in 1971, the mantra to which all assistant professors paid homage was publish or perish. Until an assistant professor received tenure, publishing in respected peer-reviewed journals was his or her motivating force. Of course, we were not told which journals were unacceptable or how many publications were necessary to be anointed with tenure. Teaching was said to be an important decision criterion for tenure, but we all recognized that the administrators’ forewarnings were primarily lip service. It appeared that the direction of graduate students, especially their inclusion in publishing, carried more weight than the in-class teaching of undergraduates. After all, the mentoring of graduate students is an important teaching responsibility. Thus, an assistant professor’s success with graduate students was used to offset a reputation for mediocrity in undergraduate instruction. The tenuring of an assistant professor who had a reputation for substandard undergraduate teaching, but who was a whiz in terms of publishing, was justified through the rationalization that he or she would improve in the teaching arena. This excuse was generally sufficient to sway the fence sitters on the promotion and tenure committees. Publishing artistry was enough to keep an assistant professor from perishing, academically speaking. In 1971, where in the promotion and tenure mix was the matter of attracting external research funds? It was certainly a factor, but much less important than publishing. It was more on par with undergraduate teaching. Cornering contracts was secondary, at best, and gained its weight primarily because it provided support for both publication page charges and graduate students, who of course were helpful in the publishing process. At that time, attracting external funds was not viewed as a measure of the ability of the assistant professor to successfully compete with those at peer institutions. Of course, this philosophy narrowed the focus of the assistant professor toward publishing. Tenure amounted to a single-criterion decision process: publish or perish. Times have changed! Thirty-plus years later, a multidimensional decision framework is the basis for tenure decisions. Undergraduate teaching is now given more than lip service, but probably not as much weight as it deserves. Publishing in peerreviewed journals remains an important factor, but the pursuit of the almighty dollar has become more important than it was in the past. External research contracts have become a primary bellwether criterion for promotion and tenure. As pointed out by Derek Bok ~2003!, scientific research has become one of higher education’s four important commercial activities. Access to funds through research enables the assistant professor to attend national conferences, where he or she can network and begin to gain attention in his or her narrow specialty. Leadership in the profession will be an important criterion to become a full professor, and so for the awarding of tenure, the ssistant professor must show that he or she is making progress

THE DECISION CRITERIA FOR THE OWNERSHIP CONTROL ENTRY MODE FOR TAIWANESE MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN THE UNITED STATES: AN APPLICATION OF THE LOGIT MODEL AND AHP

The purpose of this paper is to study the ownership entry mode decision in the United States made by firms in Taiwan. A total of 398 companies were sampled and included in the mail survey, with usable responses received from 105. We find the asset specificity and the strategic investment motivations are the most important decision criteria for the ownership control entry mode choice for Taiwanese manufacturing firms in the United States. When the stronger the U.S. strategic investment motivations and the higher the asset specificity, the higher the likelihood of Taiwanese manufacturing firm's entry through full‐ownership control mode. Finally, in our conclusion, we propose relevant implications for practice and research.

Pharmacoeconomics and clinical practice guidelines. A survey of attitudes in Swedish formulary committees.

Swedish formulary committees are expected to influence prescribing practice by establishing and issuing drug lists and clinical practice guidelines, particularly now that financial responsibility for prescription drugs has been transferred from the national to the county council level. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify the information sources and decision criteria that individual committee members perceive as important in establishing clinical practice guidelines. Moreover, obstacles to the increased use of pharmacoeconomic evaluations in decision-making were also identified. Data were gathered through a survey questionnaire administered in 1998 to members of central formulary committees throughout Sweden, as determined by a national register. 312 members of central formulary committees, of whom 69% responded. Treatment policies/guidelines supplied by government authorities, or found in reviewed journals, are considered the most important sources of information, and criteria associated with costs and effects are considered the most important decision criteria. The members' years of experience and their professions affect their assessments of information sources, whereas education in health economics affects their assessments of decision criteria. Committee members voiced an interest in pharmacoeconomic issues, but warned that there was neither sufficient competence among committee members nor an adequate supply of relevant studies. Furthermore, a majority of the members identified difficulty in translating study results into clinical practice guidelines and limited possibilities in comparing studies as obstacles to the increased use of pharmacoeconomic evaluations. The results of this survey may be useful in designing future economic evaluations and when presenting and diffusing study results.

Comment Letter to the FASB: Liability and Equity

Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation James M. Wahlen, James R. Boatsman, Robert H. Herz, Ross G. Jennings, Gregory J. Jonas, Krishna Palepu, Kathy R. Petroni, Stephen G. Ryan, Katherine Schipper; Comment Letter to the FASB: Liability and Equity. Accounting Horizons 1 September 1999; 13 (3): 305–307. doi: https://doi.org/10.2308/acch.1999.13.3.305 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest Search

Fifteen Years of Research and Development on Direct Disposal in Germany: An Overview

Studies on direct disposal of spent fuel started in Germany in 1979. From 1985 to 1995, a research and development (R&D) project was conducted, the objective of which was to develop direct disposal to technical maturity. The main results of this project are presented. As a consequence of this R&D effort, the German Atomic Energy Act was amended in 1994, eliminating the priority of reprocessing and recycling over direct disposal.The judgment of direct disposal by politicians and the nuclear community was subject to change during the period from 1980 through 1995. While initially technical feasibility was the dominating issue, the picture changed after the Act had been amended. Evidence of guaranteed Entsorgung, meaning all steps at the back end of the fuel cycle and which is provided by foreign reprocessing contracts, turned out to be an important decision criterion.

Determining the most important criteria in maintenance decision making

Many maintenance decisions require the evaluation of alternative solutions in terms of complex maintenance criteria such as cost, repairability, reliability and availability requirements. Such problems can be formulated as multi‐criteria decision‐making problems. The relative importance of maintenance criteria is difficult to assess, and therefore a sensitivity analysis becomes a necessity. The sensitivity analysis approach presented reveals some counter‐intuitive results and can considerably enhance the application of decision analysis in complex maintenance management.

An experimental investigation of the predictive accuracy of induction and regression

Abstract As both research efforts and commercial adoption of Expert Systems (ESs) increase, knowledge acquisition continues to engage the attention of many ES developers. Many view the development of automated knowledge acquisition methods as one of the last remaining barriers to more widespread ES adoption and use. Rule induction has been advanced as a promising method of knowledge acquisition for expert systems, both to understand the weighting and importance of decision criteria and to provide a predictive capability for new examples. One important strand of research has naturally begun to compare the performance of rule induction to those of traditional statistical methods, such as multiple regression. In pursuing this subject, we document a comparison of the predictive capabilities of both induction and multiple regression. The study uses a sample of over 400 MBA students, employing their current GPA as the dependent variable or goal and prior (undergraduate) GPA and GMAT scores as independent or causal variables. An extensive comparison of both methods yields conclusions at variance with many previous studies which assert the superiority of the inductive method. Furthermore, the study identifies conditions under which the inductive method may be more effective as a predictor and develops recommendations for a contingency-based approach to knowledge acquisition for ES.

FACTS VERSUS VALUES

Control of motor vehicle-related injuries depends upon passage of mandatory safety belt and other injury control laws. Unfortunately, state legislators often oppose these laws. In 1988, a 62-item questionnaire was mailed to the 97 Colorado legislators who voted on a 1987 safety belt law to identify factors (knowledge, experiences, attitudes, and beliefs) associated with "yes" and "no" votes. To test for associations between these attributes and the legislators' recorded votes, odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A stepwise logistic regression identified independent predictors of "vote." Fifty-three (55%) of the legislators responded. Responders and nonresponders were demographically similar. "Vote" was not associated with age; sex; having young children in the family; perceived injury risk; recent traffic tickets; family or personal crash experience; or knowledge of the fatality risk reductions attributable to wearing safety belts. Ninety-six percent of the legislators knew that safety belts reduce the risk of death and 87% believed a safety belt law would save lives. The strongest predictors of a "yes" vote were impression that constituents favored the law (OR = 31, CI 95 = 3.5, 270); belief that a mandatory safety belt law will save lives (OR = 20, CI 95 = 2.1, 203); and "extreme" importance paid in the voting decision to effectiveness of the law in reducing deaths (OR = 19, CI 95 = 3.5, 107). Legislators who considered restrictions on individual freedoms an "extremely" important decision criterion were 43 times (CI 95 = 7, 267) more likely to vote "no." In the logistic model only extreme importance assigned to individual freedoms (beta = 3.7; OR = .025; p = 0.002) and policy effectiveness (beta = +3.1; OR = 22; p = 0.01) predicted "vote." The logistic model correctly predicted 90% of legislators' votes. In this study the strongest predictors of voting behavior were concern for individual freedoms, perceived constituents' support and attention paid to policy effectiveness. Those seeking to persuade legislators to vote for mandatory safety belt laws must pay attention to attitudes and values in addition to scientific facts.

Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Assess Gender Differences in the Evaluation of Microcomputer Vendors

The influence of the decision maker’s sex on the choice process in specific business buying situations is not well-established. Within an organizational buying context, this study compares men’s and women’s evaluations of decision criteria and examines whether they form different preferences in the selection of microcomputer vendors. Expert Choice, a microcomputer software package for performing the analytic hierarchy process methodology, served as the decision support tool to structure the decision process, to collect the data, to derive the importance weights for the decision criteria, and to synthesize them with the vendor preferences. The results of a multivariate analysis of the experimental data indicate that men and women do not differ in weighting the importance of decision criteria nor in forming preferences for alternative PC vendors. Instead, the type of organization employing the subjects and the influence of their boss’s decision rules were found to significantly affect the vendor evaluation process.

R&D project selection: Behavior and practice in a newly industrializing country

An empirical study is presented on the practices of research and development management with special emphasis on the project selection behavior in Korea. Based on a review of literature pertaining to the R&D project selection, a survey framework was first generated. The data were collected from 73 laboratories of Korean private companies through a structured questionnaire, via a mail survey supplemented by some telephone interviews. As expected, the usage of formal models in R&D project selection are considerably limited in Korea. The findings, however, suggest that the formal models utilized by the research laboratories are varied distinctively according to research types. Exploratory and supportive R&D projects are selected by using screening models, while high-risk, new business development projects are selected by using evaluation models. For the selection of exploratory and supportive R&D projects, the major decision makers are laboratory directors, and the important decision criteria are technical factors. On the other hand, the major decision makers for the high-risk new business development projects come from the top management of firms, and they consider the market factors important as well as strategic factors. Several aspects of idea generation and collection for the R&D project selection are also presented.

PUBLIC ACCESS INVESTMENT POLICY

ABSTRACT Most States are, by law, responsible for providing public access to navigable waters. How that access is provided varies in quality, efficiency, politics, and procedure from state to state. Federal grants for developing access sites are anticipated to increase, prompting the question: If we had a million dollars to spend on public access tomorrow, where would we spend it? This paper critically reviews the access development procedures of many states and provinces of Canada, examining innovative public policy planning procedures such as decision analysis, simulations, stakeholder analysis, systems analysis, multiattribute utility theory, and operations research. The author recommends optimal pathways to sound public investments for public access. The conclusions indicate that scientific formulas do not work well in determining where access sites should be developed. Rather, a careful understanding of the social and political processes really becomes the important decision criterion.

Family decision making decision dominance structure analysis—An extension

A new group oriented methodology is applied to the study of decision dominance structures using a sample of 155 husband and wife dyads from a midwestern consumer panel. A frequency analysis within family dominance groups reveals the five most important decision criteria used by that group of families to make a purchase of men's and women's clothing, vacations, life insurance, and homeowner/renter insurance. Differences in decision structure across classifications are also examined. Possible explanations for these differences are discussed.

A computerised planning method for risky investments

In general, investment decisions are more risky than decisions concerning annual production. Until now no method appears to have been available to assist farmers in evaluating investment risk. While pragmatic methods must be refuted for theoretical reasons, methods based on programming or optimising simulation are too costly. To bridge this gap, COMPRI(= COMputerised Planning of Risky Investments) has been developed. The method aims at evaluating a limited number of investments considered by the farmer. It is a combination of risk analysis and multiperiod farm development planning. COMPRI allows for the treatment of the consumption pattern of the entrepreneur as well as for his specific tax and financial situation. Important decision criteria are parameters of the distribution functions for the present value of the investments and for owner's equity at the end of the planning period. A standardised method, COMPRI can be applied to a variety of investment problems.

満足化決定基準の特徴付

This paper discusses essential significances of the satisfactory decision criterion in an axiomatical way. For decision problems under undertainty the traditional decision criteria, for instance, the max-min, the regret and the Laplace criterion are well known. The satisfactory decision criterion is another type of principle towards decision problems under uncertainty. The traditional decision criteria requires first to arrange all alternatives in a linear order and then to subset the first elements as its solution. On the other hand, the satisfactory decision criterion is one that first arranges alternative in a linear order and second devides the linear order into two parts and third selects the "good" part as its solution, which is caned a satisfactory subset. In this sense the satisfactory decision criterion is much simpler than the traditional ones. It is introduced by Simon to explain a realistic decision behaviour of human being and is formulated by Mesarovic as one of the most important decision criteria for control theory. First we investigate properties of a satisfactory subset and find that a subset of the set of alternatives is a satisfactory subset if and only if it is an algebriac closed set. Second we axiomatize the satisfactory decision criterion by decomposing the resultant properties and make its "degree of simpleness" clear. Finally by comparing our axiom system with the axion systems of the traditional decision criteria obtained by Milnor, we find that the max-min and the regret criterion can be seen as special cases of the satisfactory decision criterion, that is, as the satisfactory decision criteria with special types of aspiration levels. The Laplace and the Hurwitz, however, can not be seen as the same as the other decision criteria including the satisfactory decision criterion. In this paper we do not assume any structure in the sets of alternatives nor of uncertainties. Strong results under such more specified conditions will be presented later.