A Model for Determining Weight Coefficients by Forming a Non-Decreasing Series at Criteria Significance Levels (NDSL)

Mališa Žižović, Dragan Pamučar, Goran Ćirović, Miodrag M. Žižović and Boža D. Miljković
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Mališa Žižović: Faculty of Technical Sciences in Cacak, University of Kragujevac, Svetog Save 65, 32102 Cacak, Serbia
Dragan Pamučar: Department of Logistics, Military Academy, University of Defence, Pavla Jurisica Sturma 33, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Goran Ćirović: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Trg Dositeja Obradovica 6, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia
Miodrag M. Žižović: AXIS Translations and Technical Services, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Boža D. Miljković: Faculty of Education Sombor, University of Novi Sad, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

Mathematics, 2020, vol. 8, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: In this paper, a new method for determining weight coefficients by forming a non-decreasing series at criteria significance levels (the NDSL method) is presented. The NDLS method includes the identification of the best criterion (i.e., the most significant and most influential criterion) and the ranking of criteria in a decreasing series from the most significant to the least significant criterion. Criteria are then grouped as per the levels of significance within the framework of which experts express their preferences in compliance with the significance of such criteria. By employing this procedure, fully consistent results are obtained. In this paper, the advantages of the NDSL model are singled out through a comparison with the Best Worst Method (BWM) and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) models. The advantages include the following: (1) the NDSL model requires a significantly smaller number of pairwise comparisons of criteria, only involving an n − 1 comparison, whereas the AHP requires an n ( n − 1)/2 comparison and the BWM a 2 n − 3 comparison; (2) it enables us to obtain reliable (consistent) results, even in the case of a larger number of criteria (more than nine criteria); (3) the NDSL model applies an original algorithm for grouping criteria according to the levels of significance, through which the deficiencies of the 9-degree scale applied in the BWM and AHP models are eliminated. By doing so, the small range and inconsistency of the 9-degree scale are eliminated; (4) while the BWM includes the defining of one unique best/worst criterion, the NDSL model eliminates this limitation and gives decision-makers the freedom to express the relationships between criteria in accordance with their preferences. In order to demonstrate the performance of the developed model, it was tested on a real-world problem and the results were validated through a comparison with the BWM and AHP models.

Keywords: NDSL model; AHP; criteria weights; pairwise comparisons (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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