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 i...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, such as managing and governing the relationship with the selected university and, most importantly, firm performance. As such, the selection becomes an important strategic decision that deserves a great deal of attention. Thus far, no systematic attempt has been made to investigate this significant area of research. The main purpose of this study is to formulate a decision-making model for university selection. Reviewing existing literature of university-industry relationship yields a list of relevant criteria for this problem. The problem is then formulated as a multi-criteria decision-making （MCDM） model, and a fuzzy AHP is used to provide the solution. To illustrate the model, three Dutch universities are ranked based on the importance of the selected criteria.展开更多
Walking,as the main mode of soft mobility,has become an integral aspect of urban tourism.The development of pedestrian tourist routes plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive walking experience in urban tourist ...Walking,as the main mode of soft mobility,has become an integral aspect of urban tourism.The development of pedestrian tourist routes plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive walking experience in urban tourist destinations.This research employs a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)with GIS to rank street segments,establishing walking-oriented tourist paths in Shiraz’s historic district,Iran.The initial steps involve identifying pivotal criteria through literature reviews and expert surveys.The Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP)establishes criteria and sub-criteria weights using input from 30 experts.The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)then prioritizes street segments based on sub-criteria such as traffic safety,image ability and heritage assets,security,land use and activity,accessibility,comfort and convenience,and human scale.Furthermore,a Space Syntax analysis(SSA)is conducted to evaluate the morphology of the street network in the study area and identify streets with potential for pedestrian movement.By integrating these analyses,a prime corridor for a pedestrian tourist route is identified.This study offers planners and policymakers a valuable tool for pre-investment decision-making,aiding the promotion of walkability in tourist-centric areas.展开更多
Background:Earthquake is one of the most destructive catastrophes in Bangladesh and the evaluation of vulnerability is a prerequisite for the earthquake risk estimation.As a result,determining vulnerability is essenti...Background:Earthquake is one of the most destructive catastrophes in Bangladesh and the evaluation of vulnerability is a prerequisite for the earthquake risk estimation.As a result,determining vulnerability is essential for lowering the future fatalities.The fundamental challenge in estimating the seismic vulnerability is to have a systematic understanding of all potential earthquake related losses.With this objective,the current study deals with evaluating the seismic vulnerability of Sylhet district of Bangladesh.Method:A multi-criteria decision-making approach such as the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)has been used in this study to estimate the earthquake vulnerability.For the assessment of three scenarios namely social,structural,and physical distance vulnerabilities,several criteria have been chosen in order to fully identify the risk of earthquake.Findings:The study uncovers the vulnerable areas of Sylhet district.It is revealed that in terms of social vulnerability,9%area of Sylhet district is under very high,55%high,15%moderate,17%low,and 4%is under very low vulnerable zone.Structural vulnerability represents that 9%of the district area is under the very high vulnerability category,48%high,31%moderate,4%low,and 8%falls under the very low category zone,whereas physical distance vulnerability comes up with a result that 23%,38%,23%,7%,and 9%of the total area fall into very high,high,moderate,low,and very low categories,respectively.Interpretation:The current work on seismic vulnerability assessment might be useful in reducing the risk and minimizing the losses due to earthquake.展开更多
This study developed specific criteria and a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)to assess and select portfolios on the Tehran Stock Exchange(TSE).Although the portfolio selection problem has been widely investigated,...This study developed specific criteria and a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)to assess and select portfolios on the Tehran Stock Exchange(TSE).Although the portfolio selection problem has been widely investigated,most studies have focused on income and risk as the main decision-making criteria.However,there are many other important criteria that have been neglected.To fill this gap,first,a literature review was conducted to determine the main criteria for portfolio selection,and a Likert-type questionnaire was then used to finalize a list of criteria.Second,the finalized criteria were applied in an FANP to rank 10 different TSE portfolios.The results indicated that profitability,growth,market,and risk are the most important criteria for portfolio selection.Additionally,portfolios 6,7,2,4,8,1,5,3,9,and 10(A6,A7,A2,A4,A8,A1,A5,A3,A9,and A10)were found to be the best choices.Implications and directions for future research are discussed.展开更多
Automation systems for buildings interconnect components and technologies from the information technology industry and the telecommunications industry.In these industries,existing platforms and new platforms（that are...Automation systems for buildings interconnect components and technologies from the information technology industry and the telecommunications industry.In these industries,existing platforms and new platforms（that are designed to make building automation systems work） compete for market acceptance and consequently several platform battles among suppliers for building automation networking are being waged.It is unclear what the outcome of these battles will be and also which factors are important in achieving platform dominance.Taking the fuzziness of decision makers＇ judgments into account,a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methodology called the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process is applied to investigate the importance of such factors in platform battles for building automation networking.We present the relative importance of the factors for three types of platforms（subsystem platforms,system platforms,and evolved subsystem platforms）.The results provide a first indication that the set of important factors differs per type of platform.For example,when focusing on other stakeholders,for subsystem platforms,the previous installed base is of importance;for system platforms,the diversity of the network of stakeholders is essential;and for evolved subsystem platforms,the judiciary is an important factor.展开更多
Many businesses have experienced difficulties in selecting a cloud service provider(CSP)due to the rapid advancement of cloud computing services and the proliferation of CSPs.Many independent criteria should be consid...Many businesses have experienced difficulties in selecting a cloud service provider(CSP)due to the rapid advancement of cloud computing services and the proliferation of CSPs.Many independent criteria should be considered when evaluating the services provided by different CSPs.It is a case of multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM).This paper presents an integrated MCDM cloud service selection framework for determining the most appropriate service provider based on the best only method(BOM)and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS).To obtain the weights of criteria and the relative importance of CSPs based on each criterion,BOM performs pairwise comparisons of criteria and also for alternatives on each criterion,and TOPSIS uses these weights to rank cloud alternatives.An evaluation and validation of the proposed framework have been carried out through a use-case model to prove its efficiency and accuracy.Moreover,the developed framework was compared with the analytical hierarchical process(AHP),a popular MCDM approach,based on two perspectives:efficiency and consistency.According to the research results,the proposed framework only requires 25%of the comparisons needed for the AHP approach.Furthermore,the proposed framework has a CR of 0%,whereas AHP has 38%.Thus,the proposed framework performs better than AHPwhen it comes to computation complexity and consistency,implying that it is more efficient and trustworthy.展开更多
Optimization of an automotive body structure faces the difficulty of having too many design variables and a too large design search space. A simplified model of body-in-prime(BIP) can solve this difficulty by reducing...Optimization of an automotive body structure faces the difficulty of having too many design variables and a too large design search space. A simplified model of body-in-prime(BIP) can solve this difficulty by reducing the number of design variables. In this study, to achieve lighter weight and higher stiffness, the simplified model of BIP was developed and combined with an optimization procedure;consequently, optimal designs of automotive body B-pillar were produced. B-pillar was divided into four quarters and each quarter was modelled by one simplified beam. In the optimization procedure, depth, width, and thickness of the simplified beams were considered as the design variables.Weight, bending and torsional stiffness were also considered as objective functions. The optimization procedure is composed of six stages: designing the experiments, calculating grey relational grade, calculating signal-to noise ratio,finding an optimum design using Taguchi grey relational analysis, performing sensitivity analysis using analysis of variance(ANOVA) and performing non-dominated sorting and multi-criteria decision making. The results show that the width of lower B-pillar has the highest effect(about 55%) and the obtained optimum design point could reduce the weight of B-pillar by about 40% without reducing the BIP stiffness by more than 1.47%.展开更多
More attention has been drawn to the selection of contractors in recent years,but little research has been conducted on distinguishing representation of performance values for qualitative and quantitative criteria in ...More attention has been drawn to the selection of contractors in recent years,but little research has been conducted on distinguishing representation of performance values for qualitative and quantitative criteria in one decision-making(DM) problem yet.Thus a novel method based on fuzzy number is proposed to solve the representation issue,in which linguistic terms and fuzzy memberships are used to separately describe qualitative and quantitative criteria,and then the linguistic terms are translated into fuzzy numbers which will be defuzzified and unified with fuzzy memberships.The novel method is used to develop a synthetic decision model for selection of contractors.The model is developed to verify the feasibility of the novel method,which(1) builds a twolevel criteria system based on survey and literature summary;(2)utilizes the analytic network process(ANP) to determine criteria weights;(3) uses the novel method to make different representations of performance values for qualitative and quantitative criteria in one DM problem and then unifies different representations for decision matrices;(4) utilizes three multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM) methods containing simple additive weighting(SAW),technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) and complex proportional assessment(COPRAS) to deal with decision matrices.Besides,a case of contractor selection is given to check the novel method by applying developed model,and the case results show that the novel method can suitably solve the representation issue of the performance values for two types of criteria as well as simplify the processes of TOPSIS and COPRAS.展开更多
文摘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, such as managing and governing the relationship with the selected university and, most importantly, firm performance. As such, the selection becomes an important strategic decision that deserves a great deal of attention. Thus far, no systematic attempt has been made to investigate this significant area of research. The main purpose of this study is to formulate a decision-making model for university selection. Reviewing existing literature of university-industry relationship yields a list of relevant criteria for this problem. The problem is then formulated as a multi-criteria decision-making （MCDM） model, and a fuzzy AHP is used to provide the solution. To illustrate the model, three Dutch universities are ranked based on the importance of the selected criteria.
文摘Walking,as the main mode of soft mobility,has become an integral aspect of urban tourism.The development of pedestrian tourist routes plays a crucial role in enhancing the positive walking experience in urban tourist destinations.This research employs a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM)with GIS to rank street segments,establishing walking-oriented tourist paths in Shiraz’s historic district,Iran.The initial steps involve identifying pivotal criteria through literature reviews and expert surveys.The Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP)establishes criteria and sub-criteria weights using input from 30 experts.The Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution(TOPSIS)then prioritizes street segments based on sub-criteria such as traffic safety,image ability and heritage assets,security,land use and activity,accessibility,comfort and convenience,and human scale.Furthermore,a Space Syntax analysis(SSA)is conducted to evaluate the morphology of the street network in the study area and identify streets with potential for pedestrian movement.By integrating these analyses,a prime corridor for a pedestrian tourist route is identified.This study offers planners and policymakers a valuable tool for pre-investment decision-making,aiding the promotion of walkability in tourist-centric areas.
文摘Background:Earthquake is one of the most destructive catastrophes in Bangladesh and the evaluation of vulnerability is a prerequisite for the earthquake risk estimation.As a result,determining vulnerability is essential for lowering the future fatalities.The fundamental challenge in estimating the seismic vulnerability is to have a systematic understanding of all potential earthquake related losses.With this objective,the current study deals with evaluating the seismic vulnerability of Sylhet district of Bangladesh.Method:A multi-criteria decision-making approach such as the analytical hierarchy process(AHP)has been used in this study to estimate the earthquake vulnerability.For the assessment of three scenarios namely social,structural,and physical distance vulnerabilities,several criteria have been chosen in order to fully identify the risk of earthquake.Findings:The study uncovers the vulnerable areas of Sylhet district.It is revealed that in terms of social vulnerability,9%area of Sylhet district is under very high,55%high,15%moderate,17%low,and 4%is under very low vulnerable zone.Structural vulnerability represents that 9%of the district area is under the very high vulnerability category,48%high,31%moderate,4%low,and 8%falls under the very low category zone,whereas physical distance vulnerability comes up with a result that 23%,38%,23%,7%,and 9%of the total area fall into very high,high,moderate,low,and very low categories,respectively.Interpretation:The current work on seismic vulnerability assessment might be useful in reducing the risk and minimizing the losses due to earthquake.
文摘This study developed specific criteria and a fuzzy analytic network process(FANP)to assess and select portfolios on the Tehran Stock Exchange(TSE).Although the portfolio selection problem has been widely investigated,most studies have focused on income and risk as the main decision-making criteria.However,there are many other important criteria that have been neglected.To fill this gap,first,a literature review was conducted to determine the main criteria for portfolio selection,and a Likert-type questionnaire was then used to finalize a list of criteria.Second,the finalized criteria were applied in an FANP to rank 10 different TSE portfolios.The results indicated that profitability,growth,market,and risk are the most important criteria for portfolio selection.Additionally,portfolios 6,7,2,4,8,1,5,3,9,and 10(A6,A7,A2,A4,A8,A1,A5,A3,A9,and A10)were found to be the best choices.Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
文摘Automation systems for buildings interconnect components and technologies from the information technology industry and the telecommunications industry.In these industries,existing platforms and new platforms（that are designed to make building automation systems work） compete for market acceptance and consequently several platform battles among suppliers for building automation networking are being waged.It is unclear what the outcome of these battles will be and also which factors are important in achieving platform dominance.Taking the fuzziness of decision makers＇ judgments into account,a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making methodology called the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process is applied to investigate the importance of such factors in platform battles for building automation networking.We present the relative importance of the factors for three types of platforms（subsystem platforms,system platforms,and evolved subsystem platforms）.The results provide a first indication that the set of important factors differs per type of platform.For example,when focusing on other stakeholders,for subsystem platforms,the previous installed base is of importance;for system platforms,the diversity of the network of stakeholders is essential;and for evolved subsystem platforms,the judiciary is an important factor.
文摘Many businesses have experienced difficulties in selecting a cloud service provider(CSP)due to the rapid advancement of cloud computing services and the proliferation of CSPs.Many independent criteria should be considered when evaluating the services provided by different CSPs.It is a case of multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM).This paper presents an integrated MCDM cloud service selection framework for determining the most appropriate service provider based on the best only method(BOM)and technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS).To obtain the weights of criteria and the relative importance of CSPs based on each criterion,BOM performs pairwise comparisons of criteria and also for alternatives on each criterion,and TOPSIS uses these weights to rank cloud alternatives.An evaluation and validation of the proposed framework have been carried out through a use-case model to prove its efficiency and accuracy.Moreover,the developed framework was compared with the analytical hierarchical process(AHP),a popular MCDM approach,based on two perspectives:efficiency and consistency.According to the research results,the proposed framework only requires 25%of the comparisons needed for the AHP approach.Furthermore,the proposed framework has a CR of 0%,whereas AHP has 38%.Thus,the proposed framework performs better than AHPwhen it comes to computation complexity and consistency,implying that it is more efficient and trustworthy.
文摘Optimization of an automotive body structure faces the difficulty of having too many design variables and a too large design search space. A simplified model of body-in-prime(BIP) can solve this difficulty by reducing the number of design variables. In this study, to achieve lighter weight and higher stiffness, the simplified model of BIP was developed and combined with an optimization procedure;consequently, optimal designs of automotive body B-pillar were produced. B-pillar was divided into four quarters and each quarter was modelled by one simplified beam. In the optimization procedure, depth, width, and thickness of the simplified beams were considered as the design variables.Weight, bending and torsional stiffness were also considered as objective functions. The optimization procedure is composed of six stages: designing the experiments, calculating grey relational grade, calculating signal-to noise ratio,finding an optimum design using Taguchi grey relational analysis, performing sensitivity analysis using analysis of variance(ANOVA) and performing non-dominated sorting and multi-criteria decision making. The results show that the width of lower B-pillar has the highest effect(about 55%) and the obtained optimum design point could reduce the weight of B-pillar by about 40% without reducing the BIP stiffness by more than 1.47%.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51178358)
文摘More attention has been drawn to the selection of contractors in recent years,but little research has been conducted on distinguishing representation of performance values for qualitative and quantitative criteria in one decision-making(DM) problem yet.Thus a novel method based on fuzzy number is proposed to solve the representation issue,in which linguistic terms and fuzzy memberships are used to separately describe qualitative and quantitative criteria,and then the linguistic terms are translated into fuzzy numbers which will be defuzzified and unified with fuzzy memberships.The novel method is used to develop a synthetic decision model for selection of contractors.The model is developed to verify the feasibility of the novel method,which(1) builds a twolevel criteria system based on survey and literature summary;(2)utilizes the analytic network process(ANP) to determine criteria weights;(3) uses the novel method to make different representations of performance values for qualitative and quantitative criteria in one DM problem and then unifies different representations for decision matrices;(4) utilizes three multi-criteria decision-making(MCDM) methods containing simple additive weighting(SAW),technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution(TOPSIS) and complex proportional assessment(COPRAS) to deal with decision matrices.Besides,a case of contractor selection is given to check the novel method by applying developed model,and the case results show that the novel method can suitably solve the representation issue of the performance values for two types of criteria as well as simplify the processes of TOPSIS and COPRAS.
