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In the post-recession period, the business environment in developing countries is still relatively undesirable. Based on the reports published, the number of closed entrepreneurs are significantly more than the number of those newly established. These statistics also reflect that the development of entrepreneurship faces several challenges. However, a strategic management program must be accurately conducted to effectively control entrepreneurial challenges based on the limitation of time and financial resources. On the other hand, the program should provide an appropriate opportunity for competitiveness by producing better quality goods and services successfully marketed to consumers. The aim of this paper is to propose a robust model with a high potential for evaluation of entrepreneurial challenges in order to identify and control the most critical ones. To achieve the aim, the most critical parameters should be identified to prevent wasting the resources. Likewise, the analytical network process (ANP) method, a branch of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques, is a powerful tool that can consider all interrelationships and interdependencies between criteria. On the other hand, neutrosophic sets are among the most widespread approaches in coping with vagueness and unknown environment. The methodology employed in this paper uses a combination model based on ANP and neutrosophic sets using sustainable development indicators to prioritize the challenges of entrepreneurship. The results show that the proposed model has a high potential to provide a process for decision-making under a vague environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the balanced scorecard approach based on sustainable development parameters is a powerful and useful methodology to evaluate the sustainable performance of organization or company. In this paper, a new approach based on sustainability balanced scorecard (SBSC) and multi criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches is developed for evaluating the performance of oil producing companies in Iran. For reflecting the interdependent relationships among factors influencing the problem under consideration, analytical network process (ANP), a branch of the MCDM techniques, is employed. However, using the ANP method for calculating the preference ratings of alternatives is a time-consuming and bothersome process; therefore, COPRAS (COmplex PRoportional ASsessment) technique is adopted to prioritize the feasible alternatives in terms of linguistic variables. Based on this study, the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. The performance evaluation model proposed by using a combination of the MCDM methods and the SBSC approach helps authorities to make an attempt for achieving a competitive advantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]