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Article
Publication date: 29 August 2019

Negar Shaaban, Majid Nojavan and Davood Mohammaditabar

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a fuzzy hybrid approach for ranking the flare gas recovery methods and allocating to refineries.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a fuzzy hybrid approach for ranking the flare gas recovery methods and allocating to refineries.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed approach is containing four stages: in the first stage, experts' assessment is applied to identify relevant criteria and sub-criteria in the evaluation of flare gas recovery methods. In the second stage, the corresponding weights of criteria and sub-criteria are determined via fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation (DEMATEL)-analytical network process (ANP) (DANP) method. In the third stage, the flare gas recovery methods are ranked using fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment method (WASPAS) multi-criteria decision-making (MADM) technique. In the fourth stage, an optimization model is developed to allocate gas recovery methods to refineries while maximizing the total utility of allocations based on model constraints.

Findings

According to the results of fuzzy DANP method, technical and operational criterion was the most important followed by economic, political, managerial and environmental criteria. With respect to sub-criteria, international sanctions and political stability were the most important. The results of fuzzy WASPAS method indicated that gas injection was the first ranked alternative. Finally, the mathematical modeling allocated the recovery methods to five refineries of South Pars gas field in Iran based on budget and time constraints.

Originality/value

The proposed approach provides a systematic tool in the selection of flare recovery methods and allocation to refineries. This approach uses a new combination of fuzzy DEMATEL-ANP (DANP) method, fuzzy WASPAS method and mathematical programming. The approach is effectively implemented in a case study for ranking the flare gas recovery methods and allocating to refineries of South Pars gas field in Iran.

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2023

Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji, Seyed Hossein Razavi Hajiagha, Vahid Jafari-Sadeghi, Donatella Busso and Alain Devalle

In this research, extracting the innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding from the literature review, screening them for the entrepreneurial small- and medium-sized…

Abstract

Purpose

In this research, extracting the innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding from the literature review, screening them for the entrepreneurial small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), analysing the cause-and-effect relationship amongst them and presenting a basic causal conceptual model and eventually determining the importance/weight of each relevant driver were the primary purposes of this research. As a result, the authors have also designed a score function to measure the future innovative crowdfunding score for SMEs.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-layer multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach has been designed and employed to achieve research objectives. After extracting the initial list of drivers, Fuzzy Delphi was applied to screen the relevant innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding for entrepreneurial SMEs. Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was used to analyse the cause-and-effect relationship amongst the drivers and illustrate a basic conceptual model. Analytical network process (ANP) and Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) were applied to determine the importance of the drivers and by aggregating them to measure the innovative crowdfunding score.

Findings

Initially, 28 innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding were extracted from the literature. Then by employing the first-round Delphi fuzzy method amongst 15 international entrepreneurs in SMEs, the relevant drivers, including eleven items, were screened and selected. Then by implementing the DEMATEL method, the relationship amongst these screened drivers was identified, and seven drivers were determined as causes and the rest as effects. Subsequently, a conceptual model based on the causal analysis of the drivers from the DEMATEL method was designed. Eventually, by aggregating the weight of drivers emanated from SWARA, DEMATEL and DANP, the score function for measuring the situation of an SME was designed.

Practical implications

According to the crowdfunding scores in this research from entrepreneurs of SMEs, influential factors in developing countries were recognised as two times more prominent in developing countries. This might be rooted in the circumstances of developing countries where many startups and SMEs are emerging in vast areas and different fields due to investment in innovation management. In these countries, the authorities and officials support these companies to empower their capabilities and innovative ideas to (1) deal with the severe competitive market and (2) benefit from them as potential economic engines. Therefore, crowdfunding platforms and public initiatives can be considered one of the most effective government supports, which may involve financial risks.

Originality/value

To the best knowledge of the authors, investigating the innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding via quantitative analysis by multi-layer decision-making approaches has not been considered previously. Moreover, the authors have designed a crowdfunding score function to determine the situation of an entrepreneurial SME in this area. A combination of different MCDM methods, including Fuzzy Delphi, SWARA, DEMATEL, ANP and DANP, to investigate the innovation drivers of successful crowdfunding in SMEs has not been considered previously.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 September 2023

Ghassem Blue, Omid Faraji, Mohsen Khotanlou and Zabihollah Rezaee

The growing business complexity has caused many risks (e.g. operational, financial, reputational, cybersecurity, regulatory and compliance) that threaten companies' sustainability…

Abstract

Purpose

The growing business complexity has caused many risks (e.g. operational, financial, reputational, cybersecurity, regulatory and compliance) that threaten companies' sustainability and have received attention from regulators, investors, and businesses. The authors present a model for assessing and reporting corporate risk by examining the indicators underlying corporate risk reporting.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough review of the literature and semi-structured interviews with experts were conducted and the fuzzy Delphi technique was used to obtain consensus and screening of risks. The relationships between these risk indicators were recognized, weighted and prioritized by employing a hybrid Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory Model (DEMATEL) method integrated with Analytic Network Process (ANP) (DEMATEL-ANP [DANP]) approach. Finally, using the Iranian setting of corporate risk reporting, a model was developed to calculate the risk-reporting scores.

Findings

The results indicate that risk disclosure quality is more important than risk disclosures' textual properties and quantity. According to the experts, reporting the key risks that the company faces, management's approach to dealing with these risks and quantifying their impact are more important than the other indicators. The results also show that risk reporting in Iran lacks quantitative and specific information, and most risk disclosures are sticky.

Research limitations/implications

The data have been prepared and analyzed according to the unique Iranian reporting environment, which should be considered when interpreting the results.

Practical implications

The results of this research can be used by the regulators of the Stock Exchange Organizations (SEO) to evaluate corporate risk reports and rank companies. Results are also relevant to investors and policymakers to identify companies with poor risk disclosure and to take necessary measures to improve their reporting practices.

Social implications

This paper contributes to the social and governance literature by presenting the importance of risk reporting in corporate disclosures.

Originality/value

The unique Iranian setting of corporate risk reporting furthers the understanding of risk reporting and thus provides education, policy, practice and research implications for other emerging economies like Iran. Many prior studies focus mainly on the quality of risk disclosure, and other aspects of corporate risk disclosure presented in the study have remained largely overlooked. The corporate risk reporting attributes identified in the study are relevant to the rise of non-financial risks, the textual and qualitative nature of risk reporting and textual risk disclosures.

Details

Journal of Applied Accounting Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-5426

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 December 2023

Seyed Hossein Razavi Hajiagha, Saeed Alaei, Arian Sadraee and Paria Nazmi

Despite the wide research and discussion on international performance, innovation and digital resilience dimensions of enterprises, the investigation and understanding of their…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite the wide research and discussion on international performance, innovation and digital resilience dimensions of enterprises, the investigation and understanding of their interrelations seem to be limited. The purpose of this study is to identify the influential factors affecting the mentioned dimensions, determine the causal relationships among these identified factors and finally evaluate their importance in an aggregated framework from the viewpoint of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

A hybrid methodology is used to achieve the objectives. First, the main factors of international performance, innovation and digital resilience are extracted by an in-depth review of the literature. These factors are then screened by expert opinions to localize them in accordance with the conditions of an emerging economy. Finally, the relationship and the importance of the factors are determined using an uncertain multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach.

Findings

The findings reveal that there is a correlation between digital resilience and innovation, and both factors have an impact on the international performance of SMEs. The cause-or-effect nature of the factors belonging to each dimension is also determined. Among the effect factors, business model innovation (BMI), agility, product and organizational innovation are known as the most important factors. International knowledge, personal drivers and digital transformation are also determined to be the most important cause factors.

Originality/value

This study extends the literature both in methodological and practical directions. Practically, the study aggregates the factors in the mentioned dimensions and provides insights into their cause-and-effect interrelations. Methodologically, the study proposes an uncertain MCDM approach that has been rarely used in previous studies in this field.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 October 2021

Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji, Moein Beheshti, Seyed Hossein Razavi Hajiagha, Niloofar Ahmadzadeh Kandi and Hasan Boudlaie

Due to the political, economic and infrastructure barriers and risks that international entrepreneurs (IEs) face when researching an emerging economy's agrifood sector, this…

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Abstract

Purpose

Due to the political, economic and infrastructure barriers and risks that international entrepreneurs (IEs) face when researching an emerging economy's agrifood sector, this research aims to identify the major barriers, analyse their relationships, quantify their importance, classify and rank them. Thus, the IEs will gain a better understanding and vision of their decision-making processes in this era.

Design/methodology/approach

To do this, the authors first created a list of barriers to entry for IEs into Iran's rising economy's agrifood industry. Following that, a multi-layer decision-making approach was developed and implemented to accomplish the research objectives. The first stage utilized a hybrid of interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) to depict the level-based conceptual model and classification of the IEs’ obstacles to entry into the agrifood sector. Following that, a hybrid decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), and analytic network process (ANP) called DANP was utilized to present a causal relationship between the barriers, identify their causes and effects, and also quantify the relevance of each barrier.

Findings

After employing the multi-layer decision-making approach, the results demonstrated that fundamental limitations, including infrastructure and technology limitations, are the most critical barriers alongside policy factors encompassing governmental support and access to global or regional economy/market. According to the results, innovation and economic sustainability of the agrifood supply chain also matter. All of these critical barriers are intertwined and should be planned and solved simultaneously. Furthermore, based on DANP results, the sustainability pillars (economy, environment, society), besides the low efficiency of the agrifood sector in Iran, should be investigated further for future policy makings.

Originality/value

A hybrid multi-layer decision-making approach has been used for analysing the barriers of investment in the agrifood sector of the emerging economy of Iran for the international entrepreneurs. Moreover, the authors provide implications and insights for IEs and officials for decision-making in the future.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2021

Amit Kumar Bardhan, Barnali Nag, Chandra Sekhar Mishra and Pradeep Kumar Tarei

An amalgamation of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytical Network Process (ANP) has been performed to develop a decision-making framework for…

Abstract

Purpose

An amalgamation of Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytical Network Process (ANP) has been performed to develop a decision-making framework for improving the overall performance of the microfinance institutions. A primary survey was conducted to collect real-time data from the heterogeneous stakeholders of microfinance institutions across India. The validation of the proposed framework is performed by comparing the results against the conventional method of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP).

Design/methodology/approach

This study identifies various dimensions and indicators for measuring the performance of Indian microfinance institutions. Additionally, the ranking and prioritisation of the performance dimensions and indicators is obtained by considering the mutual interrelation between them.

Findings

The study indicates that there exists a significant dyadic relationship between financial performance and social performance for improving the overall performance of the microfinance institutions. Governance is found to unidirectionally influence both financial and social performance. Among all the considered dimensions, financial performance of a microfinance institution is the most critical dimension for improving the overall performance. The top five performance indicators of the Indian microfinance institutions are funding source, borrowing and overhead cost, size of the firm, end-use of the money and depth of outreach.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted in the context of Indian microfinance institutions; hence the scope of generalisation of the results is limited. This research considers both subjective and objective aspect of the performance dimensions and indicators from the perspective of multiple stakeholders (i.e. firm, society and regulator). The integrated framework is expected to aid in improving overall performance of microfinance institutions by focusing on the most critical (high prioritised) performance indicators.

Originality/value

An integrated DEMATEL-ANP framework is used in the domain of microfinance to assess the performance dimensions. This study is unique in terms of analysing performance of microfinance institutions from the perspective of heterogeneous stakeholders.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 28 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 October 2022

Shwetank Avikal, Rushali Pant, Anurag Barthwal, Mangey Ram and Rajesh Kumar Upadhyay

The sustainable and circular growth of agro-produce is crucial in today's era. The current paper focuses on identifying the drivers which promote sustainability as well as…

Abstract

Purpose

The sustainable and circular growth of agro-produce is crucial in today's era. The current paper focuses on identifying the drivers which promote sustainability as well as circularity in the agro-produce supply chain and favor its implementation in agro-produce supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Drivers are identified by carrying out a brief literature review and then short-listed based on the expert's opinion. The crucial drivers identified are then categorized into four groups, i.e. farms, social, government and organization. A DEMATEL-DANP approach is used to analyze the relation among subfactors and factors by deriving network relations map. Further, the weights of each subfactor are measured followed by calculating the ranks of the drivers in significance with successful implementation of sustainable circular economy.

Findings

This study has applied DEMATEL-DANP approach to analyze the relationship among four factors and twelve sub factors and their contribution towards adopting the culture of sustainable circular economy in agro-produce supply chain. The results show that “Integration of farmers” and “Updated infrastructure and tools of the farm to promote diverse farming” are primary drivers for implementing SCE in APSC.

Originality/value

The research explored the domains of sustainability and circularity separately. Drivers that could accelerate the implementation of circularity in agro-produce in a sustainable manner were identified. This will help in designing sustainable circular model for working of the agro-produce supply chain.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2020

Ramesh K.T., Sarada P. Sarmah and Pradeep Kumar Tarei

The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for identifying various inbound supply-risk factors and analyzing its indicators considering the contextual relationship…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for identifying various inbound supply-risk factors and analyzing its indicators considering the contextual relationship between them. This study additionally proposes a framework for developing an overall inbound supply-risk score considering a real-life case of the electronics supply chain (ESC) in the Indian context.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 32 risk indicators are identified by a systematic literature review approach and are validated by supply chain practitioners/experts and further categorized into six main risk factors. A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making-based DANP (DEMATEL and ANP) framework is employed to develop the overall inbound-supply-risk score (ISRS) and to prioritize the risk indicators. Indian ESC is chosen as a viable case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Findings

The outcomes from the study reveal that the overall ISRS in the ESC is 36 percent and additionally forewarns critical inbound-supply-risk factors such as supplier performance, product, and buyer organization. Further, the study also identifies the most significant risk indicators such as price margin, investment, on-time delivery, order fulfillment and design changes for ESC.

Research limitations/implications

Supply chain practitioners can adopt this framework as a useful inbound supply-risk assessment tool. Moreover, the hybrid framework will address subjectivity and interrelations among various factors through experts’ judgments. The results will assist the managers to have better insights on the critical risk factors and their complicated interrelationships and further strategize action plans to nullify the impact of incoming risks. This study mainly focused on risk identification and assessment of electronics inbound-supply-risk indicators in the Indian context. The framework can be used for other manufacturing and service industries, albeit the results derived are in the context of a developing country.

Originality/value

This paper provides an effective risk assessment framework for the supply chain practitioners/managers to develop a decision-support system for inbound-supply-risk quantification and prioritization of risk factors in the context of the ESC.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 June 2019

Bariş Özkan, Eren Özceylan, I.brahim Halil Korkmaz and Cihan Çetinkaya

The purpose of this study is to measure the R&D performance of 81 cities in Turkey by using a scientific approach.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the R&D performance of 81 cities in Turkey by using a scientific approach.

Design/methodology/approach

A four-step solution approach is developed for this problem. In the first step, a hierarchical structure of 14 indicators (including number of patents, publications, R&D expense, etc.) in three dimensions is constructed. In the second step, explicitly and implicitly spatial indicators such as university location and R&D manpower are mapped by using geographic information system (GIS). In the third step, a hybrid multi-criteria decision making model, namely, DANP that combines decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and analytic hierarchy process (ANP) techniques is applied to assign different level of importance to the indicators. In the last step, Višekriterijumska Optimizacijai kompromisno Rešenje (VIKOR) method is used to rank the performance of 81 cities. Obtained results are visualized using GIS to show the pros and cons of each city in terms of R&D performance.

Findings

Results of the paper show that Istanbul, Ankara and Konya are ordered as contenders of best R&D performances and on the contrary, Igdir, Sirnak and Tunceli are ordered as the worst R&D performances among 81 cities.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of the study can be the considered criteria. However, all the criteria are obtained from literature and experts; thus, the paper covers as much criteria as possible.

Practical implications

The proposed study may allow Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology of Turkey to formulate more effective strategies to improve cities’ R&D performance. In addition, any country can apply the same methodology for measuring the R&D performance of their cities by using their related data. As the worst R&D city performances belong to the eastern part of Turkey, it can be deducted that the socio-cultural structure of the eastern part of the country needs improvement.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study which applies a GIS-based MCDM approach for R&D performance measurement. Thus, the value of this paper belongs to both literature and real life.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 48 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 January 2023

Sanaz Vatankhah, Mahlagha Darvishmotevali, Roya Rahimi, Seyedh Mahboobeh Jamali and Nader Ale Ebrahim

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques are decision support systems that provide systematic approaches to solve hospitality and tourism (H&T) problems while minimizing…

Abstract

Purpose

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques are decision support systems that provide systematic approaches to solve hospitality and tourism (H&T) problems while minimizing the risk of failure. However, less is known about the application of MCDM techniques in H&T research. This study aims to systematically assess the use of MCDM techniques in H&T research to classify its current application and determine its application potential for H&T research.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used bibliometric analysis to examine all published MCDM studies focused on H&T industries, since 1997. In addition, topic modelling was used to discover key concepts. Finally, top cited studies in terms of total citations per year and total citations were qualitatively reviewed for more insights.

Findings

The findings revealed an ongoing interest in applying MCDM techniques in H&T research. Specifically, the extension of fuzzy theory in MCDM techniques is burgeoning among H&T researchers. However, a certain number of MCDM techniques seem to be ignored in this field with a repetitive application of MCDM techniques in particular areas.

Research limitations/implications

The data for the current research was solely retrieved from Scopus and other databases were not included. Therefore, future research is called for to re-examine the study by considering data from various databases.

Originality/value

This study contributes to extant H&T literature by identifying the most prolific and influential countries, journals, publications and trends by applying MCDM techniques in H&T research, and elucidating the implications and characteristics of MCDM techniques in H&T research.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 35 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

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