Novel green supplier selection method by combining quality function deployment with partitioned Bonferroni mean operator in interval type-2 fuzzy environment

A generalized interval-valued p,q Rung orthopair fuzzy Maclaurin symmetric mean and modified regret theory based sustainable supplier selection method

A novel interval valued p,q Rung orthopair fuzzy (IVPQ-ROF) multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) method for sustainable supplier selection (SSS) is proposed in this paper. This study mainly contains two research points: (1) tackling the interrelation between attributes; and (2) describing the psychological state and risk attitude of decision makers (DMs). For the first research point, we introduce the Archimedean operation rules for interval valued p,q Rung orthopair fuzzy sets (IVPQ-ROFSs), then the generalized interval valued p, q Rung orthopair fuzzy Maclaurin symmetric mean (GIVPQ-ROFMSM) operator and the generalized interval valued p, q Rung orthopair fuzzy weighted Maclaurin symmetric mean (GIVPQ-ROFWMSM) operator are defined to reflect the correlation between attributes. For the second research point, we introduce the positive ideal degree (PID) and negative ideal degree (NID) based on projection of IVPQ-ROFSs, and modified regret theory. Both of them consider the best alternative and worst alternative, so as to reflect the psychological state and risk attitude of DMs. Finally, a SSS problem is presented to manifest the effectiveness of the designed method. We also provide sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis to further demonstrate the rationality and validity of the proposed method.

Maximizing projects' profitability, environmental score, and quality: a multi-project scheduling and material ordering problem

The proper trade-off between various project costs is often disregarded when planning projects. This leads to several detrimental effects, such as inaccurate planning and higher total cost, far more significant in a multi-project environment. To overcome this limitation, this study proposes a combined approach for the multi-project scheduling and material ordering problem (MPSMOP), which maintains the proper trade-off among various costs. Moreover, the environmental impact and project quality objectives are optimized alongside the economic criterion. The proposed methodology involves three stages: (a) quantifying the environmental performance of suppliers; (b) measuring the activities' quality through the Construction Quality Assessment System approach; and (c) building and solving the mathematical model of the MPSMOP. The MPSMOP is modeled as a tri-objective optimization approach aiming to determine project scheduling and material ordering decisions so that the net present value, environmental score, and total quality of implemented projects are maximized simultaneously. As the proposed model comes into the nondeterministic polynomial optimization problem category, two powerful metaheuristics are customized and used to solve the problem. The efficiency of both algorithms was assessed on several datasets. The proposed framework is applied to railway construction projects in Iran as a case study, which presents the validity of the model and the decision-making options provided to managers.

Green winner determination method based on environmental performance and minimum adjustment consensus in 4PL transportation service procurement

Due to the intensified environmental protection consciousness of enterprises and consumers, the green winner determination (GWD) considering environmental performance becomes very important for the 4PL transportation service procurement. In this paper, a new GWD method is studied, which considers different types of attributes including those related to environmental performance and the consensus reaching process (CRP). To characterize multiple types of attributes, linguistic terms, interval numbers, and crisp numbers are combined. To achieve an acceptable consensus level among linguistic evaluations given by different experts, a minimum adjustment consensus model is constructed. And on this basis, an interactive CRP is proposed. Integrating the heterogeneous information addressing process and the CRP, a HC-VIKOR method is developed to promote the 4PL's operational efficiency and service quality. Further, a numerical example is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Sensitivity analysis reveals that both the acceptable consensus threshold and the weight of group utility have a significant influence on the winner determination result. Comparison analysis shows that the proposed method outperforms the existing methods. Our study not only extends the traditional winner determination but also provides decision support for the 4PL to provide transportation services efficiently.

A novel depreciation approach in an uncertain environment: interval type-2 fuzzy sets in the maritime industry

This study aims to propose a novel model for the determination of depreciation in an environment of uncertainty. In the study, amortization methods were modified through interval type-2 fuzzy, and a new approach was proposed to help investors make decisions in an environment of cash flow uncertainty. We provide options among different depreciation alternatives for the future investment decisions of maritime companies through the revision of the straight-line depreciation method and the double-declining balance depreciation method. The fuzzy depreciation alternatives we suggest in our study are not only suitable for maritime companies, but also companies in different industries.

Assessment of regional economic restorability under the stress of COVID-19 using the new interval type-2 fuzzy ORESTE method

The economic implications from the COVID-19 crisis are not like anything people have ever experienced. As predictions indicated, it is not until the year 2025 may the global economy recover to the ideal situation as it was in 2020. Regions lacked of developing category is among the mostly affected regions, because the category includes weakly and averagely potential power. For supporting the decision of economic system recovery scientifically and accurately under the stress of COVID-19, one feasible solution is to assess the regional economic restorability by taking into account a variety of indicators, such as development foundation, industrial structure, labor forces, financial support and government's ability. This is a typical multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem with quantitative and qualitative criteria/indicator. To solve this problem, in this paper, an investigation is conducted to obtain 14 indicators affecting regional economic restorability, which form an indicator system. The interval type-2 fuzzy set (IT2FS) is an effective tool to express experts' subjective preference values (PVs) in the process of decision-making. First, some formulas are developed to convert quantitative PVs to IT2FSs. Second, an improved interval type-2 fuzzy ORESTE (IT2F-ORESTE) method based on distance and likelihood are developed to assess the regional economic restorability. Third, a case study is given to illustrate the method. Then, robust ranking results are acquired by performing a sensitivity analysis. Finally, some comparative analyses with other methods are conducted to demonstrate that the developed IT2F-ORESTE method can supporting the decision of economic system recovery scientifically and accurately.

Incorporating management opinion in green supplier selection model using quality function deployment and interactive fuzzy programming

The need for environmental protection and involvement of ecological aspects in the business operations is forcing the organizations to re-examine their action plans and rebuild their supply chain activities. Many organizations are incorporating environmental rules and regulations in their everyday matters by focusing on green supplier selection. The proposed research paper develops a multi-objective interactive fuzzy programming model for the selection of suppliers. This model works on a business quartet of green appraisal score, cost, quality, and time. The model uses an environmental scale for different green parameters and all the suppliers are scored based on this scale. In this research model, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodology is integrated with the multi-objective interactive fuzzy programming. QFD technique is utilized to compute the weights of several green factors used for the selection of suppliers. The model uses a Fuzzy linguistic scale and a triangular membership function to link expert opinions along with their experience to solve the problem. Finally, the model is validated on a numerical case study of the textile industry for green supplier selection which achieves a 100% satisfaction for cost and time, 75% satisfaction for green appraisal score, and 93.95% for the quality. The proposed model assists the decision-makers in selecting green suppliers to improve the overall sustainability of their organizations.

Fermatean Fuzzy Schweizer–Sklar Operators and BWM-Entropy-Based Combined Compromise Solution Approach: An Application to Green Supplier Selection

The Fermatean fuzzy set (FFS) is a momentous generalization of a intuitionistic fuzzy set and a Pythagorean fuzzy set that can more accurately portray the complex vague information of elements and has stronger expert flexibility during decision analysis. The Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) approach is a powerful decision-making technique to choose the ideal objective by fusing three aggregation strategies. In this paper, an integrated, multi-criteria group-decision-making (MCGDM) approach based on CoCoSo and FFS is used to assess green suppliers. To begin, several innovative operations of Fermatean fuzzy numbers based on Schweizer–Sklar norms are presented, and four aggregation operators utilizing the proposed operations are also developed. Several worthwhile properties of the advanced operations and operators are explored in detail. Next, a new Fermatean fuzzy entropy measure is propounded to determine the combined weight of criteria, in which the subjective and objective weights are computed by an improved best-and-worst method (BWM) and entropy weight approach, respectively. Furthermore, MCGDM based on CoCoSo and BWM-Entropy is brought forward and employed to sort diverse green suppliers. Lastly, the usefulness and effectiveness of the presented methodology is validated by comparison, and the stability of the developed MCGDM approach is shown by sensitivity analysis. The results shows that the introduced method is more stable during ranking of green suppliers, and the comparative results expound that the proposed method has higher universality and credibility than prior Fermatean fuzzy approaches.

Presenting a framework for the successful entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship

Purpose

The concentration of women entrepreneurs on influential events such as the development of green entrepreneurship, which lead to the coordination and dynamic balance between economic and environmental goals, can create a bright future for businesses with sustainable and environmentally friendly architecture. The main purpose of this study is to provide a framework for the successful entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The present qualitative applied descriptive-analytical study was conducted on a population of women entrepreneurs working in green businesses. This population was obtained by the non-probability chain sampling method and an exploratory interview with the saturation of 12 individuals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the findings.

Findings

The results revealed that creating shared value, inclusive social acceptance, multifaceted interactions and green dynamic bedding are effective in the entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship in the form of “competitive empowerment” and “multiplied green synergy”. Thus, managers and planners should consider some factors, including shared value, social acceptance, inclusive acceptance, building green culture, knowledge flows, multiple participation, networking dimension, green marketing, competitiveness, creating platforms, green technologies and risk management.

Originality/value

This research tries to present a framework for the entry of women entrepreneurs into green entrepreneurship area.

Green supplier selection for textile industry: a case study using BWM-TODIM integration under interval type-2 fuzzy sets

Although environmental awareness has reached a high level, enterprises-regardless of their working domains-follow the concept of greenness for their practices. This awareness among the stakeholders and supply chain experts has a positive impact on the purchasing departments of enterprises in various sectors to consider greenness in their procurement processes. The critical decision that must be made in green supply chain management (GSCM) is supplier selection. In the textile industry, a highly competitive market in recent years, suppliers for this industry have crucial roles in business activities considering environmental issues. Therefore, green supplier selection (GSS) in the textile industry is considered a must-be process for the stakeholders. In this study, a GSS problem is tackled as a multi-criteria decision process. Best worst method (BWM) and TODIM (an acronym in Portuguese of interactive and multi-criteria decision-making) methods are merged under an improved fuzzy concept of interval type-2 fuzzy sets (IT2FSs). In determining green suppliers' evaluation criteria, BWM with interval type-2 fuzzy numbers (IT2F-BWM) is used. In selecting green suppliers, an interval type-2 fuzzy TODIM (IT2F-TODIM) is applied. Considering the characteristics of IT2FSs, BWM, and TODIM methods either individually and in integrated style, the proposed approach can handle uncertainty in the decision-making of GSS. To demonstrate the applicability of the approach, a case study in the Turkish textile industry is performed. Three green supplier alternatives (S1, S2, and S3) are assessed under forty-two sub-criteria. The study shows the most significant sub-criteria are recognized as dye and print quality, product design and pattern suitability, profit on the product, variation in price, and purchase cost. S2 green supplier has been selected as the most appropriate one. A sensitivity analysis is also fulfilled to check variation in the ranking of green suppliers.

A Distance-Based AHP-DEA Super-Efficiency Approach for Selecting an Electric Bike Sharing System Provider: One Step Closer to Sustainability and a Win–Win Effect for All Target Groups

Existing research on electric bike sharing systems (e-BSS) emphasises the importance of the sustainability of the systems and the need to respect the views of all stakeholders when planning e-BSS. However, this research overlooks the fact that the sustainability of e-BSS depends to a large extent on the skills and knowledge of the parties who select an electric bike provider, which in most cases is the investor in the e-BSS. There is no previous paper that provides support for investors in (1) defining a set of criteria for selecting a provider that takes into account all of the three domains of sustainability (economic, social, and environmental) and (2) developing a tool that best meets sustainability standards on the one hand and the needs and requirements of all stakeholders (including e-bike users and investors) on the other hand. A distance-based analytic hierarchy process/data envelopment analysis (AHP-DEA) super-efficiency approach was proposed and applied to adapt DEA to the needs of predefined groups by using slack variables. The approach takes into account the fact that not all outputs have a positive impact on the final outcome; the approach also allows decision-makers to define the hierarchical structure of the importance of the criteria directly based on the responses of the selected group. A case study in Slovenia illustrated the application of the approach.

Extended VIKOR-QUALIFLEX Method Based on Trapezoidal Fuzzy Two-Dimensional Linguistic Information for Multiple Attribute Decision-Making with Unknown Attribute Weight

Considering the advantages of trapezoid fuzzy two-dimensional linguistic variables (TrF2DLVs), which can not only accurately describe the qualitative evaluation but also use qualitative linguistic variables (LVs) to describe the confidence level of this evaluation in the second dimension, this paper proposes a novel method based on trapezoidal fuzzy two-dimensional linguistic information to solve multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) problems with unknown attribute weight. First, a combination weight model is constructed, which covers a subjective weight determination model based on the proposed trapezoidal fuzzy two-dimensional linguistic best-worst method (TrF2DL-BWM) and an objective weight determination model based on the proposed CRITIC method. Then, in order to accurately rank the alternatives, an extended VIKOR-QUALIFLEX method is proposed, which can measure the concordance index of each ranking combination by means of group utility and individual maximum regret value of each evaluation alternative. Finally, a practical problem of lean management assessment for industrial residential projects is solved by the proposed method, and the effectiveness and advantages of the method are demonstrated by comparative analysis and discussion.

Green supplier selection in steel industry with intuitionistic fuzzy Taxonomy method

Since people around the world have gradually attached importance to resource conservation, various countries are actively taking measures to promote environmental protection and sustainable development. Green supply chain management (GSCM) have emerged in this context. Thus, in this essay, a novel intuitionistic fuzzy multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) method is designed to tackle this issue. First of all, CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation) method is utilized to determine the weights of criteria. Later, the conventional Taxonomy method is extended to the intuitionistic fuzzy environment to compute the value of development attribute of each supplier. Then, the optimal one can be determined. Eventually, an application about green supplier selection in steel industry is presented, and a comparative analysis is made to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method. The main features of the proposed algorithm are that they provide a practical solution for selecting GSCM and presents an objective weighting method to enhance the effectiveness of the algorithm.

Generalized complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein averaging aggregation operators and their application in multi-attribute decision making

The recently proposed q-rung orthopair fuzzy set, which is characterized by a membership degree and a non-membership degree, is effective for handling uncertainty and vagueness. This paper proposes the concept of complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (Cq-ROFS) and their operational laws. A multi-attribute decision making (MADM) method with complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy information is investigated. To aggregate complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy numbers, we extend the Einstein operations to Cq-ROFSs and propose a family of complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein averaging operators, such as the complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein weighted averaging operator, the complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein ordered weighted averaging operator, the generalized complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein weighted averaging operator, and the generalized complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy Einstein ordered weighted averaging operator. Desirable properties and special cases of the introduced operators are discussed. Further, we develop a novel MADM approach based on the proposed operators in a complex q-rung orthopair fuzzy context. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method through a detailed comparison with existing methods.

Hesitant Fuzzy SWARA-Complex Proportional Assessment Approach for Sustainable Supplier Selection (HF-SWARA-COPRAS)

The selection of sustainable supplier is an extremely important for sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). The assessment process of sustainable supplier selection is a complicated task for decision experts due to involvement of several qualitative and quantitative criteria. As the uncertainty is commonly occurred in sustainable supplier selection problem and hesitant fuzzy set (HFS), an improvement of Fuzzy Set (FS), has been proved as one of the efficient and superior ways to express the uncertain information arisen in practical problems. The present study proposes a novel framework based on COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment) method and SWARA (Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis) approach to evaluate and select the desirable sustainable supplier within the HFSs context. In the proposed method, an extended SWARA method is employed for determining the criteria weights based on experts’ preferences. Next, to illustrate the efficiency and practicability of the proposed methodology, an empirical case study of sustainable supplier selection problem is taken under Hesitant Fuzzy (HF) environment. Further, sensitivity analysis is performed to check the stability of the presented methodology. At last, a comparison with existing methods is conducted to verify the strength of the obtained result. The final outcomes confirm that the developed framework is more consistent and powerful than other existing approaches.

A novel distance of intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy numbers and its-based prospect theory algorithm in multi-attribute decision making model

The aim of this paper is to develop a new decision making method considering decision makers' psychological behavior for multi-attribute decision making problem under intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy environment. We first put forward a new distance measure of intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Then combining with cumulative prospect theory, we develop a novel decision making method, which can consider risk attitude of decision makers. Finally, an example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.

Novel Multiple Attribute Group Decision-Making Methods Based on Linguistic Intuitionistic Fuzzy Information

As an effective technique to qualitatively depict assessment information, a linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy number (LIFN) is more appropriate to portray vagueness and indeterminacy in actual situations than intuitionistic fuzzy number (IFN). The prominent feature of a Muirhead mean (MM) operator is that it has the powerful ability to capture the correlations between any input-data and MM operator covers other common operators by assigning the different parameter vectors. In the article, we first analyze the limitations of the existing ranking approaches of LIFN and propose a novel ranking approach to surmount these limitations. Secondly, we propound several novel MM operators to fuse linguistic intuitionistic fuzzy (LIF) information, such as the LIF Muirhead mean (LIFMM) operator, the weighted LIF Muirhead mean (WLIFMM) operator and their dual operators, the LIFDMM operator and the WLIFDMM operator. Subsequently, we discuss several desirable properties along with exceptional cases of them. Moreover, two novel multiple attribute group decision-making approaches are developed based upon these operators. Ultimately, the effectuality and practicability of the propounded methods are validated through dealing with a global supplier selection issue, and the comparative analysis and the merits of the presented approaches are demonstrated by comparing them with existing approaches.

A New Integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making and Multi-Objective Programming Model for Sustainable Supplier Selection and Order Allocation

With the increasing pressure from global competition, manufacturers have realized that sustainable production is significant in supply chain management. Sustainable supplier selection and order allocation (SSS&OA) play a distinct and critical role for organizations to achieve sustainable development and build competitive advantage. In this paper, we aim to develop a novel SSS&OA model for selecting the most suitable sustainable suppliers and determining the optimal order sizes among them. First, double hierarchy hesitant linguistic term sets (DHHLTSs) are adopted to deal with uncertainty in evaluating the sustainable performance of alternative suppliers. Then, an extended decision field theory is proposed to choose efficient sustainable suppliers dynamically. Considering quantity discount, a multi-objective linear programming (MOLP) model is established to allocate reasonable order quantities among the selected suppliers. Finally, the applicability and effectiveness of the developed model are illustrated through its application in the electronic industry and through a comparative analysis with other methods.

An Extended EDAS Method with a Single-Valued Complex Neutrosophic Set and Its Application in Green Supplier Selection

The single-valued complex neutrosophic set is a useful tool for handling the data with uncertainty and periodicity. In this paper, a single-valued complex neutrosophic EDAS (evaluation based on distance from average slution) model has been established and applied in green supplier selection. Firstly, the definition of single-valued complex neutrosophic set and corresponding operational laws are briefly introduced. Next, to fuse overall single-valued complex neutrosophic information, the SVCNEWA and SVCNEWG operators based on single-valued complex neutrosophic set, Einstein product and sum are proposed. Furthermore, the single-valued complex neutrosophic EDAS model has been established and all computing steps have been depicted in detail. Finally, a numerical example of green supplier selection and a comparison analysis have been given to illustrate the practicality and effectiveness of this new model.

Multi-criteria group decision making based on Archimedean power partitioned Muirhead mean operators of q-rung orthopair fuzzy numbers

Two critical tasks in multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) are to describe criterion values and to aggregate the described information to generate a ranking of alternatives. A flexible and superior tool for the first task is q-rung orthopair fuzzy number (qROFN) and an effective tool for the second task is aggregation operator. So far, nearly thirty different aggregation operators of qROFNs have been presented. Each operator has its distinctive characteristics and can work well for specific purpose. However, there is not yet an operator which can provide desirable generality and flexibility in aggregating criterion values, dealing with the heterogeneous interrelationships among criteria, and reducing the influence of extreme criterion values. To provide such an aggregation operator, Muirhead mean operator, power average operator, partitioned average operator, and Archimedean T-norm and T-conorm operations are concurrently introduced into q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets, and an Archimedean power partitioned Muirhead mean operator of qROFNs and its weighted form are presented and a MCGDM method based on the weighted operator is proposed in this paper. The generalised expressions of the two operators are firstly defined. Their properties are explored and proved and their specific expressions are constructed. On the basis of the specific expressions, a method for solving the MCGDM problems based on qROFNs is then designed. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the method is demonstrated via a numerical example, a set of experiments, and qualitative and quantitative comparisons.