Large-scale Group Decision Research Articles

The mixed integer robust maximum expert consensus models for large-scale GDM under uncertainty circumstances

Consensus commonly improves the efficiency of subsequent implementation of the solution in large-scale group decision making (LSGDM). The maximum expert consensus model (MECM) is a significance decision method for consensus reaching processes. In the MECM, the unit adjustment cost of each decision maker and a consensus budget are assumed to be deterministic. Within real-world decision environment, however, it is scarcely possible to obtain an exact numerical value of them. To solve this problem, novel MECMs are constructed on the basis of robust optimization under uncertainty circumstances. Considering the uncertainty of costs, we propose three mixed integer robust maximum expert consensus models (MIR-MECMs) by introducing uncertain box, ellipsoid and polyhedron sets, respectively. Further, we take the aggregation operators into these proposed models. Additionally, to comprehensively analyze the impact of the uncertain parameters in MECM, we develop two models under indeterminacy of the costs and a consensus budget. Finally, an improved genetic algorithm is provided to solve the proposed models in large-scale GDM. Numerical example is used to demonstrate that the solution of the deterministic MECM is too optimistic and the solution of the proposed models are more robust under the uncertainty circumstances. A simulation analysis shows that the ordered weighed averaging (OWA) operator is more stable performance with parameters perturbation.

Multi-attribute large-scale group decision making with data mining and subgroup leaders: An application to the development of the circular economy

The circular economy is a concept that emphasizes a sustainable and regenerative method of business operations. The circular economy has become the economic embodiment and inevitable choice for the implementation of sustainable development strategies. For many circular economy activities such as the selection of pilot parks or cities, many experts from multiple fields or ministries are often invited to make decisions according to multiple attributes. Hence, to solve such problems, it is necessary to develop an efficient multiattribute large-scale group decision-making model that can facilitate coordination of a large group of experts. First, a natural language processing technique from a specific data mining application field is adopted to mine public preference information. Then, experts are clustered and subgroup leaders are selected. Next, a consensus reaching model is proposed to reduce the discrepancies among experts. Finally, an illustrative example regarding the selection of pilot eco-industrial parks in the Sichuan Province, China, is given to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. The results show that our model can effectively address evaluation problems of circular economy activities involving a large group of experts.

A LSGDM method based on social network and IVIFN’s geometric characteristics for evaluating the collaborative innovation problem1

During the development of regional economy, introducing collaborative innovation is an important policy. Constructing a scientific and effective measurement for evaluating the collaborative innovation degree is essential to determine an optimum collaborative innovation plan. As this problem is complex and has a long-lasting impact, this paper will propose a novel large scale group decision making (LSGDM) method both considering decision makers’ social network and their evaluation quality. Firstly, the decision makers will be detected based on their social connections and aggregated into different subgroups by an optimization algorithm. Secondly, decision makers are weighted according to their important degree and decision information, where the information is carried by interval valued intuitionistic fuzzy number (IVIFN). During the information processing, IVIFN is put in rectangular coordinate system considering its geometric meaning. And some related novel concept are given based on the barycenter of rectangle region determined by IVIFN. Meanwhile, the criteria’s weights are calculated by the accurate degree and deviation degree. A classical example is used to illustrate the effect of weighting methods. In summary, a large scale group decision making method based on the geometry characteristics of IVIFN (GIVIFN-LSGDM) is proposed. The scientific and practicability of GIVIFN-LSGDM method is illustrated through evaluating four different projects based on the constructed criteria system. Comparisons with the other methods are discussed, followed by conclusions and further research.

Distance-Based Large-Scale Group Decision-Making Method with Group Influence

Large-scale group decision making (LSGDM), which involves a large number of decision makers, has become a hot topic in the field of decision making. To address LSGDM problems with hesitant information, in this paper, a distance-based LSGDM method is proposed by considering group influence. In the method, a generalized distance measure between two pieces of hesitant information is designed to overcome the limitations of existing distance measures. To accelerate the convergence of consensus reaching process with the consideration of the interaction among decision makers, decision makers are divided into several subgroups. The group leader is selected in terms of the contributions of decision makers to group consensus. In order to help generate a satisfactory solution by adequately considering the decision makers’ diverse opinions, the group discussion is introduced to clarify their opinions and minimize bias under the organization of the selected group leader. Based on the changes in the preference information before and after group discussion, the influence of each subgroup is generated and further applied to determine the weights of subgroups. Simulation and comparison experiments are conducted to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method.

A cohesion-driven consensus reaching process for large scale group decision making under a hesitant fuzzy linguistic term sets environment

Large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) under uncertainty modelled by comparative linguistic expressions based on a hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set (HFLTS) has recently attracted the interest of many researchers and research, due to the necessity of its function in LSGDM, and the challenges it faces such as the managing of the scalability problem, uncertainty of experts’ opinions and dealing with polarized conflicting opinions. To smooth out such discrepancies and obtain agreed solutions Consensus Reaching Processes (CRPs) for LSGDM have been applied, in which experts are grouped into sub-groups according to the closeness of their opinions to deal with scalability. However, most CRPs for LSGDM are driven by a majority rule, in which larger sub-groups, where there might be internal disagreements, lead the consensus. In such processes, the internal disagreements can produce unsatisfactory solutions. Consequently, the majority view should be complemented by additional mechanisms that also measure the strength of the sub-groups’ opinions. A good measurement of such strength is the cohesion among the sub-group members. Therefore, in this paper, a new cohesion measure for HFLTS based on restricted equivalence functions for measuring the experts’ sub-group cohesiveness is introduced to drive the consensus process together the majority and thus reduce the impact of internal disagreements risen in majority driven CRPs. It is then integrated in a new cohesion-driven CRP approach based on LSGDM to deal with comparative linguistic expressions based on HFLTS. An experimental analysis on different large scale scenarios will show the performance and importance of cohesion in consensus based LSGDM.

An optimal Best-Worst prioritization method under a 2-tuple linguistic environment in decision making

Multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) deals with decision makers who evaluate alternatives over several criteria. MCGDM problems evolve in tandem with the progress of our society. Such progress has given rise to the large-scale group decision making (LS-GDM) problems in which hundreds of decision makers may participate in the decision process and new challenges to face such as groups’ formation and polarization opinions. Most real world MCGDM problems present changing contexts with uncertainty that cannot be modeled by numerical values. Under these circumstances, the use of linguistic variables and computing with words (CW) processes have provided successfully results. Concretely, the 2-tuple linguistic computational model stands out because its precise linguistic computations and high interpretability. On the other hand, pairwise comparison is a widely used elicitation technique in MCGDM, but a large number of comparisons might lead inconsistent decision makers’ preferences. The Best-Worst method (BWM) reduces the number of pairwise comparisons and the inconsistency in decision makers’ opinions. Several BWM approaches have been proposed to manage linguistic information but none of them take advantage of the 2-tuple linguistic computational process based on the CW approach, which would allow to obtain precise and understandable results. This paper aims to present an extended 2-tuple BWM to reduce the number of pairwise comparisons in MCGDM problems and model the uncertainty associated with them to accomplish accuracy computations and obtaining interpretable results. Moreover, we apply our proposal to LS-GDM scenarios in which polarization opinions and sub-groups identification, ignored from any of BWM proposals, are considered. Finally, the new model is applied to several illustrative MCGDM problems.

Balance Dynamic Clustering Analysis and Consensus Reaching Process With Consensus Evolution Networks in Large-Scale Group Decision Making

Large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) solution is usually based on the clustering analysis process (CAP) and consensus reaching process (CRP). However, CAP and CRP can be contradictory since CAP is performed based on the differences between potentially small groups and CRP is conducted to improve the overall similarity of a large group. To balance CAP and CRP, a dynamic clustering analysis process (DCAP) based on consensus evolution networks is proposed. A clustering algorithm proposed based on community detection method can be used to handle the diverse network structures with dynamic consensus thresholds. The clustering validity based on the intracluster consensus levels in subgroups and the intercluster consensus level among subgroups is evaluated. Then, the DCAP after each feedback adjustment round in CRP is reanalyzed. In such a way, effective clustering can also be found after a satisfying consensus is reached. Finally, a case study shows the availability of this approach and comparative analyses are provided to highlight the advantages from both theoretical and numerical perspectives.

A Consensus Model for Large-Scale Group Decision-Making Based on the Trust Relationship Considering Leadership Behaviors and Non-cooperative Behaviors

Large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) based on social networks has become an important part of practical decision-making. The trust relationship in social networks has an influence on not only the clustering process but also the consensus reaching process (CRP). Decision-makers (DMs) can take different behaviors by using the trust relationship to influence consensus reaching, so identifying the adjustment behaviors of DMs in CRP is essential. This study considers the influence of the trust relationship on the CRP and proposes a behavior analysis-based consensus model that comprehensively considers the leadership behaviors and non-cooperative behaviors. First, based on the clustering result, the preference similarity of two DMs with the direct trust relationship is calculated to judge whether leadership behavior exists. By judging the leadership behaviors, the number of effective DMs involved in LSGDM will be reduced. Second, based on the identification of leadership behaviors, the non-cooperative or cooperative behaviors are defined by judging whether the adjustment behaviors of effective DMs are conducive to achieving group consensus. Third, the weights of effective DMs and subgroups are punished or rewarded by quantifying the degree of non-cooperative or cooperative behaviors. Finally, the simulation experiments and comparative analysis are presented to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method.

Big data-enabled large-scale group decision making for circular economy: An emerging market context

This study is focused on presenting a unique landscape for big data-enabled circular economy that involves stakeholders as important decision makers. This research is designed based on five case studies from emerging markets with a focus on circular models to propose a framework for large scale decision making. In these cases, different linear economy problems are addressed that further utilizes the integration of big data and large-scale group decision making by stakeholders to achieve circularity. The findings of our study indicate a four-step design (enabling technologies, business significance, deriving value, and circular goals) to implement the 10R's of the circular economy through emerging technologies such as big data and related mobile applications along with cloud-based platforms. The study highlights how cases from emerging markets can be useful for other firms and ecosystems, ranging from e-commerce to manufacturing, that employ large number of decision makers with the aim of creating a circular economy. At the end, the study presents theoretical and practical implications along with the scope for future research.

Comprehensive minimum cost models for large scale group decision making with consistent fuzzy preference relations

Nowadays, society demands group decision making (GDM) problems that require the participation of a large number of experts, so-called large scale group decision making (LS-GDM) problems. Logically, the more experts are involved in the decision making process, the more common is the emergence of disagreements in the group. For this reason, consensus reaching processes (CRPs) are key in the resolution of these problems in order to smooth such disagreements in the group and reach consensual solutions. A CRP requires that experts are receptive to change their initial preferences, but demanding excessive changes could lead to deadlocks. The well-known minimum cost consensus (MCC) model allows to obtain an agreed solution by preserving experts’ preferences as much as possible. However, this MCC model only considers the distance among experts and collective opinion, which is not enough to guarantee a desired degree of consensus. To overcome this limitation, it was proposed comprehensive MCC models (CMCC) in which both consensus degree and distance are considered, and CMCC models deal with fuzzy preference relations (FPRs) for modeling experts’ opinions. However, these models are not efficient to deal with LS-GDM problems and the FPRs consistency is ignored in them. Therefore, this paper aims to propose new CMCC models focused on LS-GDM problems in which experts use FPRs whose consistency is taken into account in order to obtain reliable results. A case study is introduced to show the effectiveness of the proposed models.

Consensus model based on probability K-means clustering algorithm for large scale group decision making

Nowadays, the increasing complexity of the social environment brings much difficulty in group decision making. The more uncertainty exists in a decision-making problem, the more collective wisdom is needed. Therefore, large scale group decision making has attracted a lot of researchers to investigate. Since the probabilistic linguistic terms have impressive performance in expressing DMs’ opinions, this paper proposes a novel method for large scale group decision making with probabilistic linguistic preference relations. More specifically, (1) a probability k-means clustering algorithm is introduced to segment DMs with similar features into different sub-groups; (2) an integration method is proposed to construct the collective probabilistic preference relation that retains initial information to the most extent; (3) taking the personality of each DM into account, a consensus model is constructed to improve the rationality and efficiency of consensus reaching process. Several simulation experiments are designed to analyze the influence factor in the feedback mechanism and make some comparative analysis with the existing method. Finally, an illustrative example of contractor selection is conducted to verify the validity of the proposed method.

A Two-stage subgroup Decision-making method for processing Large-scale information

Large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) problems generally involve a large number of decision-makers (DMs). In many situations, the number of DMs and alternatives simultaneously make traditional techniques inoperable. This paper proposes a two-stage subgroup decision-making (T-SSGDM) method. In contrast to the traditional LSGDM approaches, this framework does not need a clustering process to reduce the size of DMs/alternatives to a manageable level. Instead, we propose a T-SSGDM process to address inter-group heterogeneity. First, DMs and alternatives are randomly grouped so that the number of alternatives to be assessed by each DM is substantially reduced. Second, as the ratings obtained in the first stage of the decision-making process are incomparable, partial samples are selected for the second stage. The relationships among the ratings of different subgroups are then determined by applying the equivalence test. Additionally, to ensure the robustness of the results, three sampling methods and three kinds of functions for the equivalence test are implemented. Finally, an empirical application is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Capturing attitudinal characteristics of decision-makers in group decision making: application to select policy recommendations to enhance supply chain resilience under COVID-19 outbreak

The impact of COVID-19 on the global outbreak of supply chain is enormous. It is crucial for governments to take policy recommendations to enhance the supply chain resilience to mitigate the negative impact of COVID-19. For such a major issue, it is a common occurrence that a large number of decision-makers (DMs) are invited to participate in the decision-making process so as to ensure the comprehensiveness and reliability of decision results. Since the attitudinal characteristics of DMs are important factors affecting decision results, this study focuses on capturing the attitudinal characteristics of DMs in the large-scale group decision making process. The capturing process combines the ordinal k-means clustering algorithm, gained and lost dominance score method and personalized quantifiers. To enable DMs to express their cognitions in depth, we use the probabilistic linguistic term set to express the evaluation information of DMs. A case study on selecting the optimal policy recommendation for improving the integration capability of supply chain is given to illustrate the applicability of the proposed process. The superiority of the proposed algorithm is highlighted through sensitive analysis and comparative analysis.

Fuzzy Consensus With Federated Learning Method in Medical Systems

Large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) is one of the main open problems where a decision is made by many different results. Moreover, there is also a problem with how to make the decision when there is no all information. This uncertainty can be very problematic for many different solutions in artificial intelligence. In this paper, we propose to extend a federated learning (FL) approach to not only a training process but also for making a decision using many different classifiers. This solution is applied in LSGDM, where many different results are intended for the classification of various data and can be used for deciding, even when some of the data are missing. For this purpose, we propose a fuzzy consensus that can be used in these problems. The contribution of this paper is the new way of using FL and extending its operation to many different classifiers. Our proposition was described for medical purposes and evaluated to show the advantages of the proposal. The proposal obtained 89,12% of accuracy on HAM10000, which is one of the best results compared to state-of-art.

Managing noncooperative behaviors in large-scale group decision-making with linguistic preference orderings: The application in Internet Venture Capital

In Internet venture capital (VC), it is very important to fully analyze and evaluate the influential factors. Because this activity usually involves amounts of experts, it makes sense to incorporate it into large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM). In this process, how to deal with the noncooperative behaviors and express the preference information are two important issues that need to be addressed. Given this, this paper is committed to evaluating the influential factors of Internet VC by managing noncooperative behaviors in LSGDM. Firstly, the preference information can be expressed by linguistic preference orderings (LPOs) which can be used to express unbalanced relationship between any two adjacent alternatives. Then, three kinds of noncooperative behaviors are taken into consideration, and we can identify the group who belongs to one of the three noncooperative behaviors, and then develop methods to manage them respectively. Furthermore, a consensus reaching model is established to manage these noncooperative behaviors. Moreover, we apply the proposed model to solve a practical LSGDM problem involving the evaluations of the influential factors in Internet VC. Finally, comparative analyses between the proposed model and some existing methods are made to show the validity and applicability of the proposed consensus reaching model.

A hierarchical consensus reaching process for group decision making with noncooperative behaviors

With the development of technological and societal paradigms, we witness a trend where a large number of experts participate in decision-making processes, and large-scale group decision making has become a much researched topic. A large-scale group decision-making problem usually involves many experts with various backgrounds and experiences. In these cases, an effective consensus reaching process is essential to guarantee the support of all experts, especially in large-scale group decision-making settings. This study proposes a hierarchical consensus model that allows the number of adjusted opinions to vary depending on the specific level of consensus in each iterative round. Furthermore, this study also introduces a method to detect and manage noncooperative behaviors by means of the hierarchical consensus model. The minimum spanning tree clustering algorithm is used to classify experts. A weight determination method combining the size of the subgroup and the sum of squared errors is developed for subgroups. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the practicality of the proposed model.

An overlap graph model for large‐scale group decision making with social trust information considering the multiple roles of experts

AbstractSocial network analysis is an efficient tool to investigate the relationships of decision‐makers in large‐scale group decision making (LSGDM). Existing social network‐based LSGDM studies generally assumed that each decision‐maker has a single role or belongs to only one subgroup. The assumption that a decision‐maker has multiple roles or belongs to multiple subgroups is rarely taken into consideration. In this regard, this study proposes an overlap graph model (OGM) in which decision‐makers can participate in the decision‐making process in multiple roles to solve LSGDM problems with social trust information. In the OGM, decision‐makers are firstly divided into two types: multiple‐role decision‐makers and single‐role decision‐makers. Since it is unpractical for a decision‐maker to evaluate all others in a LSGDM problem, we then investigate how to construct a complete social trust network based on an Agent mechanism. A two‐stage consensus reaching process is proposed to reduce the discrepancies among decision‐makers: The first stage is for single‐role decision‐makers within a subgroup while the second stage is for Agents and multiple‐role decision‐makers. Finally, an illustrative example regarding selecting treatment plans for critical patients in COVID‐19 is provided to test the applicability and rationality of the proposed model.

Consensus Model Handling Minority Opinions and Noncooperative Behaviors in Large-Scale Group Decision-Making Under Double Hierarchy Linguistic Preference Relations.

With the rapid development of society and continual progress of science and technology, large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM) problems are very commonly encountered in real-life situations. Considering that the information required for decision-making and people's cognition processes is becoming more and more complex, double hierarchy linguistic preference relation (DHLPR) can be used to express complex linguistic information reasonably and intuitively. Sometimes experts in LSGDM unwillingly modify their preferences or even modify them on purpose in a contrary way to the other experts. Thus, differing opinions or minority preferences are often referred to as obstacles to decision-making. This article develops a consensus model to manage minority opinions and noncooperative behaviors in LSGDM with DHLPRs. In addition, to establish the consensus model, some basic tools, such as the clustering method, weights-determining method, and adjustment coefficients-determining method, are developed. Finally, a practical LSGDM problem is set up to prove that the proposed consensus model is feasible and effective, and some comparative analyses are made to highlight the advantages of these methods and models, as well as to analyze current deficiencies.

Risk perception and intelligent decision in complex social information network

PurposeThe increase of turbulence sources and risk points under the complex social information network has brought severe challenges. This paper discusses risk perception and intelligent decision-making under the complex social information network to maintain social security and financial security.Design/methodology/approachCross-modal semantic fusion and social risk perception, temporal knowledge graph and analysis, complex social network intelligent decision-making methods have been studied. A big data computing platform of software and hardware integration for security combat is constructed based on the technical support.FindingsThe software and hardware integration platform driven by big data can realize joint identification of significant risks, intelligent analysis and large-scale group decision-making.Practical implicationsThe integrated platform can monitor the abnormal operation and potential associated risks of Listed Companies in real-time, reduce information asymmetry and accounting costs and improve the capital market's ability to serve the real economy. It can also provide critical technical support and decision support in necessary public opinion monitoring and control business.Originality/valueIn this paper, the theory of knowledge-enhanced multi-modal multi-granularity dynamic risk analysis and intelligent group decision-making and the idea of an inference think tank (I-aid-S) is proposed. New technologies and methods, such as association analysis, time series evolution and super large-scale group decision-making, have been established. It's also applied in behavior and situation deduction, public opinion and finance and provides real-time, dynamic, fast and high-quality think tank services.

Online-review analysis based large-scale group decision-making for determining passenger demands and evaluating passenger satisfaction: Case study of high-speed rail system in China

High-speed rail (HSR) has become an essential mode of public transportation in China and is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. To promote the development of the HSR industry, a high level of passenger satisfaction must be ensured, which means that passenger satisfaction must be assured. Focusing on HSR in-cabin factors that affect the travel experience of HSR passengers, this study aims to determine passenger demands (PDs) and to evaluate passenger satisfaction by using a combination of online review analysis and large-scale group decision-making (LSGDM). By using web crawler technology, online reviews related to HSR were harvested from a microblogging platform to extract PD data and information. The six PDs that reflect the most frequent concerns of passengers were identified by analyzing the online reviews. The level of satisfaction of passengers with respect to these PDs was analyzed based on the online responses from 100 HSR passengers and by adopting the interval-valued two-tuple linguistic representation model. The final degrees of satisfaction and rankings of the PDs were then determined by using the LSGDM approach with the k-means clustering method and a consensus-reaching process. This research thus constructs an index system of HSR passenger satisfaction evaluation based on online-review analysis and evaluates the process by using LSGDM approaches. The conclusions provide insights into the improvements desired by HSR passengers for in-cabin services and to improve passenger satisfaction.