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In recent years, influencer marketing has taken over traditional brand advertisements on social media platforms, combining word-of-mouth marketing with celebrity endorsements. However, there has been limited academic research on the key success factors in influencer marketing. This paper used a hybrid MCDM model that integrates the Delphi method and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach. Through a two-stage empirical study, the research aims to explore the crucial success factors in influencer marketing. This study focuses on the Taiwanese market. The target respondents for the survey are consumers in Taiwan who have purchased products or services based on recommendations from key opinion leaders (KOLs) or internet celebrities. This systematic research framework not only pinpoints key factors that capture consumer attention towards influencers, but it also illustrates the inter-relationship of structure and improvement directions among these factors. According to results, the key factors include influencer reputation, credibility, degree of key opinion influence, attractiveness, popularity, consistency between influencers and brands, fan engagement level, and informativeness. Finally, businesses can consider five aspects to be the purpose of collaboration, product type, target audience for the product, characteristics of the influencer's creative content, and media attributes. By comprehensively considering these aspects, businesses can determine the appropriate format for collaborative content. This decision can then guide how influencers communicate with consumers, effectively conveying brand information to the relevant target audience. The research findings provide fresh and significant insights in the field of influencer marketing studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how a multiple criteria decision-making method, the analytic network process (ANP) is applied to help Taiwanese TV. companies to effectively select optimal televised sportscasters for the Olympic Games. Design/methodology/approach - After interviewing 44 practitioners, criteria for the selection of the Olympic Games televised sportscasters were collected. To avoid the complicated computing process from additional pairwise comparisons of the ANP, the 12 critical criteria that were mentioned more than 30 times by theses respondents were retained. After discussions with 18 senior executives these were classified in three perspectives to structure the hierarchy for the selection of the Olympic Games televised sportscasters. Findings - After discussions with the 18 senior executives, it is found that the selection criteria for televised sportscasters are interrelated. Unlike former contributors who ignored the interdependence among factors, a more feasible and accurate approach, the ANP, which captures the dependent relationship, is applied in this paper to handle such problems. Practical implications - According to the hierarchy base on three perspectives and 12 important criteria, Taiwanese TV companies could select the optimal Olympic Games televised sportscasters more effectively. A practical application of the ANP presented is generic and could be exploited for Taiwanese TV companies. Originality/value - The Olympic Games are one of the most important and most popular sporting events in the world. This paper contributes to a more effective selection of the optimal Olympic Games televised sportscasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chiang, T., 2022. Multiple-criteria decision-making attributes approach for carbon-reduction construction in small islands. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(2), 310–318. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The group decision-making with dependent attributes problem (GDMDAP) is an increasingly important problem for small islands in the construction industry to achieve carbon-reduction and sustainability goals with a win-win vendor selection process. In this paper, an innovative approach that integrates the stochastic matrix and the VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is applied to solve the GDMDAP. The 795 records from the 47 carbon-reduction projects in Kinmen, an island with zero carbon visions in Taiwan, are surveyed from 2014 to 2021. The 67% decision attributes in the case study are dependent based on the Spearman's rho test. The test verifies that decision-making is difficult to apply to the traditional multiple-criteria decision-making method for carbon-reduction projects. The analytic network process method is also difficult to estimate because of the range problem of ratio variable scale. Based on the stochastic matrix and modified linear normalization, a 0–100 scale decision matrix with dependent attributes is transferred to a 0–1 scale with less than a two times scores gap. The group VIKOR method is used to integrate the acceptable advantage and acceptable stability. The performances of the traditional ranking method and the proposed approach are compared with one of the 47 carbon-reduction projects. The results show the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's highly competitive air transportation environment, the quality of airport service is an important issue. In this paper, we present a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method for the evaluation of the quality of airport service. The data are collected from the passengers who depart from two international airports in Taiwan. The fuzzy MCDM model is defuzzied using the inverse function arithmetic representation method. The results show that the average quality of the Taoyuan International Airport service is better than that of the Kaohsiung International Airport service. This paper also analyses the quality of airport service using the fuzzy expert system to improve the performance of airport service. The analysis results show that the Kaohsiung International Airport and the Taoyuan International Airports' improvement efforts should be concentrated on seven and five specific service items, respectively. The findings of this paper are to help the decision-makers and the managers of airports improve the quality of airport service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented, including one by Rui Antonio Rodrigues Ramos et al on multiple-criteria procedure to evaluate passengers' sustainable mobility in urban areas, another by Kyoung Seok Shin et al on a novel two-leveled multi-objective symbiotic evolutionary (TMSEA) algorithm to solve the hub and spoke location problem (HSLP) under multiple scenarios and Yueh-Tzu Wu et al on traffic-adaptive arterial signal control model for specific Taiwan conditions.

This paper combines two multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) tools to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) that impact the performance of personnel training course projects in the semiconductor industry in Taiwan. The study collected the factors that influence performance by interviewing experts and constructed a hierarchical factor table. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was used to determine the weight of each factor, and the acceptance advantage concept of VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje was used to objectively identify the CSFs. The study found four CSFs that affect project performance and proposed five practical implications. This paper verified that combining two MCDM tools can help training institutions to allocate their resources appropriately by focusing on the CSFs, identified by their weights, and thus, promote their training courses at lower cost and with greater efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research introduces a rule-based decision-making model to investigate corporate governance, which has garnered increasing attention within financial markets. However, the existing corporate governance model developed by the Security and Future Institute of Taiwan employs numerous indicators to assess listed stocks. The ultimate ranking hinges on the number of indicators a company meets, assuming independent relationships between these indicators, thereby failing to reveal contextual connections among them. This study proposes a hybrid rough set approach based on multiple rules induced from a decision table, aiming to overcome these constraints. Additionally, four sample companies from Taiwan undergo evaluation using this rule-based model, demonstrating consistent rankings with the official outcome. Moreover, the proposed approach offers a practical application for guiding improvement planning, providing a basis for determining improvement priorities. This research introduces a rule-based decision model comprising ten rules, revealing contextual relationships between indicators through if–then decision rules. This study, exemplified through a specific case, also provides insights into utilizing this model to strengthen corporate governance by identifying strategic improvement priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a conceptual structure to explore how financial technology (FinTech) innovation is being implemented to deal with vague, inconsistent and ambiguous knowledge in actual world. The structure of this study is built upon the technology, organization, environment (TOE) context, which one uses the concept of multi-criteria estimation to measure the significance of FinTech innovation. We develop an integrated MCDM (multiple criteria decision-making) model through rough set theory help administrators obtain a strategic influence relation map for enhancing performance approaching towards the aspiration value. This model involves three steps: primary, we apply this rough number to define group views which reflect upon experts' real experiences; second, we use the rough DEMATEL-based ANP-(RDANP) to acquire the rough influential weights and rough influential network relationship map (RINRM) based on this TOE structure and its corresponding attributes; finally, we utilize the rough modified VIKOR with the influence to analyze the gap between the performance value and the aspirated level. The empirical case was originated from financial industry in Taiwan. According to the weighting results the expected benefits, technology integration, and competitive pressure were the most important criteria. Our results also illustrate how FinTech innovation can be used for promoting financial services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In international trade offset practices (in Taiwan known as industrial cooperation program, ICP) have received increased attention over the past 20 years. In the coming 10 years, the Taiwanese government may expend roughly US$16 billion for purchasing Patriot-III missiles, P-3 long-range anti-submarine planes, and diesel-engine submarines from the United States through foreign military sale, and can achieve US$8 billion ICP credit the largest in Taiwanese history. Offsets or ICP can be regarded as fuzzy multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems, therefore, the fuzziness and uncertainty of subjective perception should be considered. This paper provides an alternative approach, the non-additive fuzzy integral, to deal with the fuzzy MCDM problems especially when there is dependence among considered criteria. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss with Taiwan’s ICP Optimal Offset Transaction Policy and propose a framework of drawing on ICP credit in future. This paper considers the four aspects of policy, ability, economy, and environment, to establish a set of fuzzy AHP multiple criteria decision mode to identify the evaluative criteria variables and project item’s order for ICP project. This decision mode was identified as a workable method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a multiobjective planning model for generating optimal train seat allocation plans on an intercity rail line serving passengers with many-to-many origin-destination pairs. Two planning objectives of the model are to maximise the operator's total passenger revenue and to minimise the passenger's total discomfort level. For a given set of travel demand, train capacity, and train stop-schedules, the model is solved by fuzzy mathematical programming to generate a best-compromise train seat allocation plan. The plan determines how many reserved and non-reserved seats are to be allocated at each origin station for all subsequent destination stations on each train run operated within a specified operating period. An empirical study on the to-be-built Taiwan's high-speed rail system is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. The model can be used for any setting of travel demand and stop-schedules with various train seating capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To operate a successful and growing business, a retail store manager has to make tough decisions about selectively closing underperforming stores. In this paper, we propose using a three-phase multiobjective mechanism to help retail industry practitioners determine which stores to close. In the first phase, a geographic information system (GIS) and k-means clustering algorithm are used to divide all the stores into clusters. In the second phase, stores can be strategically selected according to the requirements of the company and the attributes of the stores. In the third phase, a neighborhood-based multiobjective genetic algorithm (NBMOGA) is utilized to determine which stores to close. To examine the effectiveness of the proposed three-phase mechanism, a variety of experiments are performed, based partly on a real dataset from a stock-list company in Taiwan. Results from the experiments show that the proposed three-phase mechanism can help efficiently decide which store locations to close. In addition, the neighborhood radius has a considerable influence on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is not easy for the hotel industry to develop a new business model. To find new consumers, Taiwan's hotel industry has learned from the successful experience of internal restaurants and set up affiliated restaurants. The innovative business model has become an important niche for grasping key technologies and expanding advantages in terms of food and beverage management outside the hotel building. Based on this, and on the application of resource theory, this research is based on the authors' previous research results which used resource-based theories as the basis to develop evaluation dimensions and criteria. This article continues this aspect and model, and merges MCDM models such as DEMATEL and DANP methods to formulate a research evaluation standard system for affiliated restaurants. According to the research results, there are four resource dimensions and eight measurement indicators for the development of key resources for affiliated restaurants; the importance of the four resources is in the following order: organizational ability, personal ability, tangible assets, and intangible assets, and the first two are the "causes" in the causal relationship. The important order of the eight measurement indicators is organizational resources, human resources, financial resources, physical resources, brand/business reputation resources, marketing resources, technical resources, and relationship resources; among them, human resources and financial resources are the most important factors which are the "causes" in the causal relationship. This study uses a multi-criteria decision-making model to explore the resource application, evaluation, and importance ranking of hotel development for affiliated restaurants, which provides a benchmark for the hotel industry to establish affiliated restaurants as an innovative business model. The study results can be referred to for the future and sustainable development of the hotel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since 2000, the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Government in Taiwan has been implementing a policy of Electronic Manufacturing Promotion (e-MP) to assist firms to implement Business to Business Information System (B2BIS). In general, the actual performance of e-MP policy has just been based on the data given in a final report produced by the funded firm. Consequently there is no clear evidence as to the efficacy of the e-MP policy. Therefore, this paper mainly covers two parts (i) A Fuzzy analytic hierarchical process (Fuzzy AHP) was utilized to explore the weights of each policy item according to project leaders’ response of 17 funded cases to see whether the current e-MP policy really benefits firms and (ii) financial data of 30 cases was collected from the stock exchange in Taiwan to understand the actual performance and Fuzzy AHP was utilized to find the funded cases’ initial expectation to see whether the adoption of B2BIS by those cases funded by the Government actually met initial expectation. The results of this study indicate that the e-MP policy need to be adjust and costs decreased and work efficiencies rose are most important benefit in most of the funded cases after introduction of B2BIS and this meet their initial expectation. Finally, implications and suggestions are given for the e-MP policy to facilitate adjustments by the IDB. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the real word, the decision-making problems are very vague and uncertain in a number of ways. Most of the criteria have interdependent and interactive features, so they cannot be evaluated by conventional measure method. Such as the feasibility, thus, to approximate the human subjective evaluation process, it would be more suitable to apply a fuzzy method in the environment-watershed plan topic. This paper describes the design of a fuzzy decision support system in multi-criteria analysis approach for selecting the best plan alternatives or strategies in environment watershed. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method is used to determine the preference weightings of criteria for decision makers by subjective perception (natural language). A questionnaire was used to find out from three related groups comprising 15 experts, including 5 from the university of expert scholars (include Water Resources Engineering and Conservation, Landscape and Recreation, Urban Planning, Environment Engineering, Architectural Engineering, etc.), 5 from the government departments, and 5 from industry. Subjectivity and vagueness analysis is dealt with the criteria and alternatives for selection process and simulation results by using fuzzy numbers with linguistic terms. It incorporated the decision-makers’ attitude towards the preference; overall performance value of each alternative can be obtained based on the concept of fuzzy multiple-criteria decision-making (FMCDM). This research also gives an example of evaluation consisting of five alternatives, solicited from an environment-watershed plan work in Taiwan, is illustrated to demonstrate the effectiveness and usefulness of the proposed approach. The result is useful for destination planning and the sustainability of watershed tourism resources as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Harnessing the supply base is an important but complex task for enterprises. Supplier performance evaluation is increasingly seen as a strategic issue for companies to maintain and enhance the competitive edge. However, evaluating suppliers is complicated by the fact that various criteria must be considered in the decision-making process, and is inherently a multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. It also concerns the evaluation by different experts of multiple attributes, both qualitative and quantitative. To perceive and to estimate effectively the capability of suppliers are real arduous tasks for executives. This paper takes advantage of the 2-tuple linguistic computing to coping with the heterogeneity and information loss problems while the evaluation processes of subjective integration. The proposed approach based on the group decision-making scenario assists executives in adroit manipulation of the heterogeneity during integration processes and averts the information loss effectively. Finally, we demonstrate the validity and feasibility by means of a high-technology company in Taiwan. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Outsourcing manufacturing is a trend in today’s global business operations. Vendor selection is an essential factor affecting outsourcing operations performance and has been determined as a multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel hybrid MCDM technique to cope with the complex and interactive vendor evaluation and selection problem which can determine the structural relationships and the interrelationships amongst all the evaluation’s dimensions and support the Analytic Network Process (ANP) method to arrange appropriate weightings to each dimension and criterion in the evaluation model by summarizing the opinions of the experts. Finally, the overall performance ranking of all alternatives can be obtained to assist the decision making. Taiwan semiconductor industry is the largest provider in worldwide market. It is vertically disintegrated and outsourcing is a main stream practice. Wafer-testing is a critical manufacturing step in the semiconductor supply chain that distinguishes whether the IC can meet the specifications. Consequently, it’s crucial to establish a thorough model for selecting the wafer-testing vendors in order to achieve the success of the outsourcing operation. A case study of a Taiwan semiconductor company in selecting its wafer-testing outsourcing vendor by using the proposed MCDM technique is demonstrated to enhance the decision making quality. The results and proposed solution can be referred to by not only the semiconductor companies, but also other industries so that they can improve the vendor selection process in order to achieve a higher performance and satisfaction level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we combine grey relation analysis with fuzzy multi-criteria group decision-making (FMCGDM) to evaluate financial performance of Taiwan container lines. In the evaluating process, we apply grey relation analysis to partition financial ratios into several clusters, and find representative indices from the clusters. These representative indices are considered as evaluation criteria on financial performance assessments. Then an FMCGDM method is utilized to evaluate the financial performance of Taiwan container lines. By the evaluation, one container line can realize the finance competitive strength on container shipping market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Business strategies and index evaluations on communities of practice (CoPs) could be the prevailing way for group learning and innovation building within firms. As firms grow in size, scope, and complexity, CoPs members who regularly engage in sharing and learning based on common interests, could improve organizational performance. Due to multi-criteria consideration and uncertain information handling, the purpose of this research is to use the fuzzy multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method to analyze various index priorities and strategy preferences of CoPs, by undertaking empirical studies of Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in Taiwan. Fourteen units in survey case were given fifty-seven questionnaires about their priorities towards sixteen different pairs of criteria. Additionally, they were also asked to estimate their four highest achievable business strategies. These evaluation criteria include satisfying multi-dimensions to capable operators. Under each of the four first-tier dimensions, four second-tier criteria are used to assess and echo their first-tier dimensions. The findings of this paper can promote performance value of implementing knowledge management systems and modelling of competitive strategies for CoPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The development of the Internet is a key revolution of the 20th century. The Internet has led to a boom in e-commerce. Online shopping is generally the most popular shopping option for consumers. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in adopting various measures, such as lockdown and stay-at-home orders, in various countries. This has led to changes in people's consumption habits. In Taiwan, consumer behavior has also rapidly shifted to online shopping after the outbreak of the COVID-19. As livestreaming breaks time and space barriers, its real-time, interactive, and authentic features are unparalleled compared to other marketing methods, thereby creating a brand-new shopping experience for consumers. Accordingly, livestream shopping, a new consumption model, has developed and become an essential part of people's daily lives. Live-streamers, who are similar to salespersons in traditional markets, play a vital role in e-commerce livestreaming. The success of livestream shopping has highlighted the importance of live-streamers. The competition among live-streamers has become more intense because of the arrival of many newcomers. Thus, operators must make careful hiring decisions. However, no related literature in the past has investigated this important topic. Therefore, this study applied a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model comprising the fuzzy Delphi method (screen the selection criteria), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) (obtain the weight of each dimension and criterion), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) (rank the alternatives) to assist the managers of shopping websites in selecting live-streamers. We interviewed the managers of shopping websites and reviewed the related literature to compile the selection criteria. Following the fuzzy Delphi method, 15 important selection criteria were retained based on the 30 managers' opinions. Further, the criteria were classified into dimensions based on the previous literature and interviews conducted on managers to establish a hierarchical framework. On the basis of this hierarchical framework, AHP and TOPSIS were applied to help a case company select live-streamers. A comparative analysis between the outcomes from AHP and AHP/TOPSIS was also conducted in this study. This study is the first empirical study on live-streamers' selection and adds to the literature on livestreaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplier selection is a critical multi-criterion decision-making activity for suc- cessful supply chain management. This study involved developing an integrated supplier selection methodology, which is constructed using analytic network process, data envelop- ment analysis, and multiple objective particle swarm optimization. The proposed integrated methodology can account for multiple supplier selection criteria and set boundaries on weight value for multiple objective data envelopment analysis inputs and outputs. To solve the data envelopment analysis model, a new algorithm based on multiple objective particle swarm optimization is introduced, which embeds with tabu list and group mechanisms, and then, it is found to be superior to the compared algorithms in solving performance on three test functions and the illustrative case. In addition, the proposed integrated method- ology was applied to a supplier selection problem of sphygmomanometer manufacturer in Taiwan to verify its applicability of decision-making process. The results show that the methodology can be implemented as an effective decision aid for supplier selection under multiple criteria with weight restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Restructuring of power system stresses the need for economic and reliable generation of power. Therefore generating units should be committed considering fuel cost and reliability level of the system. This necessitates the need for multi-objectives to be met in a unit commitment problem (UCP). Since the above objectives are conflicting in nature, a novel methodology employing optimal deviation based firefly algorithm tuned fuzzy membership function is applied to multi-objective unit commitment problem (MOUCP). The ON/OFF status of the generating units is obtained by binary coded FF whereas the sub-problem economic dispatch (ED) is obtained by real coded FF. Here the conflicting functions are formulated as a single objective function using fuzzy weighted optimal deviation. The fuzzy membership design variables are tuned using real coded FF; thereby the requirement of expertise for setting these variables are eliminated. The proposed methodology is validated on 100-unit system, IEEE RTS 24-bus system, IEEE 118-bus system and a practical Taiwan Power (Taipower) 38-unit system over a 24-h period. Effective strategy on scheduling spinning reserve is demonstrated by comparing its performance with other methods reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates the trends followed by MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) in the last three years and analyzes the strategies that can contribute to the success of Taiwan's telecommunications industry and marketing. We apply the method and concept of PATTERN (Planning Assistance Through Technical Evaluation of Relevance Number) to establish relevant systems for searching out the key successful factors of strategies to attract MVNOs. We also use the fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method for analyzing the different preference of a decision group in the criteria weights and for ranking the alternatives in a fuzzy environment in order to provide a strategy scheme. These results provide a reference to assist telecommunications operators, 3G license owners, potential MVNOs, and equipment manufacturers when working out business plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining how to evaluate the art licensing model is a complex multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. This study explores the critical factors influencing art licensing in the art and creative industry because this industry has potential contributions to a high value-added cultural economy in Taiwan. Due to the high cultural value of the National Palace Museum and the uniqueness of its cultural relics, this study takes it as an empirical case. The decision hierarchy is constructed based on a literature review and expert interviews. Furthermore, we used the fuzzy integral to calculate the weights and overall performance of the three licensing models. The empirical results illustrate that both brand licensing and image licensing groups emphasized the aspect of market environment as the primary consideration for licensing model selection. In particular, respondents considered that the adoption of a brand licensing model could facilitate the achievement of better overall performance value. The reason is that brand licensing made the company's brand visible by imprinting the brand names of both the National Palace Museum and the company on products. This study can be used as reference model for the evaluation of art licensing by enterprises in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]