An ELECTRE-based outranking method for multiple criteria group decision making using interval type-2 fuzzy sets

The aim of this paper is to develop an ELECTRE(ELimination Et Choice Translating REality)-based outranking method for multiple criteria group decision-making within the environment of interval type-2 fuzzy sets. Along with considering the context of interval type-2 trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, this paper employs a hybrid averaging approach with signed distances to construct a collective decision matrix and proposes the use of ELECTRE-based outranking methods to analyze the collective interval type-2 fuzzy data. By applying a signed distance approach, this work identifies the concordance and discordance sets to determine the concordance and discordance indices, respectively, for each pair of alternatives. Based on an aggregate outranking matrix, a decision graph is constructed to determine the partial-preference ordering of the alternatives and the ELECTREcally non-outranked solutions. This paper provides additional approaches at the final selection stage to yield a linear ranking order of the alternatives. The feasibility and applicability of the proposed methods are illustrated with an example that addresses supplier selection, and a comparative analysis is performed with other approaches to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.