An analytical framework for the best–worst method

Since the development of the best–worst method (BWM) in 2015, it has become a popular research focus in multi-criteria decision-making. The original optimization problem of the BWM is a nonlinear min–max model that can lead to multiple optimal solutions, while the linear model of the BWM produces a unique solution. The two models need to be...

Unveiling and Unraveling Aggregation and Dispersion Fallacies in Group MCDM

Priorities in multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) convey the relevance preference of one criterion over another, which is usually reflected by imposing the non-negativity and unit-sum constraints. The processing of such priorities is different than other unconstrained data, but this point is often neglected by researchers, which results in...

Joint B2B supply chain decision-making: Drivers, facilitators and barriers

Joint decision-making is one of the coordination mechanisms to address the inherent complexity of business-to-business (B2B) processes within a supply chain. Joint decision-making can be helpful to define shared goals and objectives, identify supply chain failures and opportunities, and consolidate supply chain success. Parties may benefit...

Nonadditive best-worst method: Incorporating criteria interaction using the Choquet integral

The best-worst method (BWM) is a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) method to derive the relative importance (weight) of a set of criteria used to evaluate a set of alternatives. Several models (e.g., nonlinear, linear, Bayesian, and multiplicative) have been developed to find the weights based on the provided pairwise comparisons, conducted...

Belief-Based Best Worst Method

The Best-Worst Method (BWM) is a Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method that has recently been introduced. The original BWM assumes that decision-makers are always certain about their judgments even if, in reality, decision-makers often express uncertain preferences. To deal with uncertainty, we introduce a belief structure in the BWM,...

A decision support system for detecting and handling biased decision-makers in multi criteria group decision-making problems

Detecting and handling biased decision-makers in the group decision-making process is overlooked in the literature. This paper aims to develop an anti-biased statistical approach, including extreme, moderate, and soft versions, as a decision support system for group decision-making (GDM) to detect and handle the bias. The extreme version...

Equalizing bias in eliciting attribute weights in multiattribute decision-making: experimental research

One of the most important steps in formulating and solving a multiattribute decision-making (MADM) problem is weighting the attributes. Most existing weighting methods are based on judgments by experts/decision-makers, which are prone to several cognitive biases, making it necessary to examine these biases in MADM weighting methods and...

A sectoral perspective on distribution structure design

This paper studies the factors that drive distribution structure design (DSD), which includes the spatial layout of distribution channels and location choice of logistics facilities. We build on a generic framework from existing literature, which we validate and elaborate using interviews among industry practitioners. Empirical evidence was...

A Concentration Ratio for Nonlinear Best Worst Method

Best Worst Method (BWM) is a multi-criteria decision-making method that is based on a structured pairwise comparison system. It uses two pairwise comparison vectors (best-to-others and others-to-worst) as input for an optimization model to get the optimal weights of the criteria (or alternatives). The original BWM involves a nonlinear model...

Anchoring bias in eliciting attribute weights and values in multi-attribute decision-making

The aim of this study is to look at anchoring bias–one of the main cognitive biases–in two multi-attribute decision-making methods, SMART and Swing. First, the existence of anchoring bias in these two methods for eliciting attribute weights and attribute values is theorised. Then, a special experiment is designed to compare the results...

A multiplicative best–worst method for multi-criteria decision making

This communication examines the best–worst method for multi-criteria decision making from a more mathematical perspective. The central part of this manuscript is the introduction of a new metric into the framework of the best–worst method. This alternative metric does not change the original idea behind the best–worst method and yet it can be...

Sustainable product-package design in a food supply chain: A multi-criteria life cycle approach

This paper presents a multi-criteria decision-making approach for the selection of a sustainable product-package design, accounting for the different actors within a food supply chain. The study extends the focus of sustainable packaging design to the collective of all supply chain actors. Decision criteria are identified via a literature...

Bayesian best-worst method: A probabilistic group decision making model

The best-worst method (BWM) is a multi-criteria decision-making method which finds the optimal weights of a set of criteria based on the preferences of only one decision-maker (DM) (or evaluator). However, it cannot amalgamate the preferences of multiple decision-makers/evaluators in the so-called group decision-making problem. A typical way...

Incorporating the travellers’ experience value in assessing the quality of transit nodes: A Rotterdam case study

The quality of a transit node is determined by the experience of travellers. However, the reference model for classifying the quality of a transit node, the so-called Node-Place model, does not consider this important dimension (experience). In this paper, we propose a method to add quality from a traveller's perspective to the Node-Place (NP...

Piecewise linear value functions for multi-criteria decision-making

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) concerns selecting, ranking or sorting a set of alternatives which are evaluated with respect to a number of criteria. There are several MCDM methods, the two core elements of which are (i) evaluating the performance of the alternatives with respect to the criteria, (ii) finding the importance (weight) of...

Measuring efficiency of university-industry Ph.D. projects using best worst method

A collaborative Ph.D. project, carried out by a doctoral candidate, is a type of collaboration between university and industry. Due to the importance of such projects, researchers have considered different ways to evaluate the success, with a focus on the outputs of these projects. However, what has been neglected is the other side of the...

Multi-criteria university selection: Formulation and implementation using a fuzzy AHP

Collaboration with universities as ‘knowledge factories’ is increasingly perceived to be an effective and viable solution for firms to gain competitive advantage. One of the main challenges firms face in this area is how to select the best university for collaboration. This selection undoubtedly affects some other strategic activities of firms,...