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A new approach to the solution of an important problem of a better use of personnel, sales representatives, for cable television service system providers in Taiwan is discussed. A new multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model is proposed for personnel selection meant as a process of selecting candidates who are qualified to perform specific jobs in the best possible way. The new approach involves first the selection of criteria for the sales representatives. Fuzzy importanceperformance analysis (FIPA) is used to design a questionnaire, and interviews with executives are performed. A new method for the determination of importance and degree of satisfaction of the criteria proposes is developed. Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to establish interactions between the dimensions and criteria. Analytic network process (ANP) is then used to find the weights of each dimension and selection criterion based on their interaction via pairwise comparison. The integrated weights obtained for each selection criterion are then employed in technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) to select the best sales representative. A realistic example is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ratings are the basis for the survival of programmes and the key to commercial television (TV) stations’ operations in Taiwan. Therefore, in the decisionmaking process of drama purchasing, TV stations need an objective and comprehensive selection model owing to the complex criteria and because the drama purchasing decision is crucial to their ratings and operations. From the viewpoint of commercial TV station managers, we proposed a decisionmaking model to select overseas dramas. We first established the criteria for purchasing overseas dramas based on past literature and fuzzy Delphi method (FDM), including American, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese dramas. The case commercial TV station then selected the most suitable Chinese dramas for purchase by conducting empirical research with decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic network process (ANP), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). This model provides an objective, quantitative, and effective way for commercial TV stations to purchase the optimal overseas dramas with academic and practical value and contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A globally aging population results in the long-term care of people with chronic illnesses, affecting the living quality of the elderly. Integrating smart technology and long-term care services will enhance and maximize healthcare quality, while planning a smart long-term care information strategy could satisfy the variety of care demands regarding hospitals, home-care institutions, and communities. The evaluation of a smart long-term care information strategy is necessary to develop smart long-term care technology. This study applies a hybrid Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, which uses the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) integrated with the Analytic Network Process (ANP) for ranking and priority of a smart long-term care information strategy. In addition, this study considers the various resource constraints (budget, network platform cost, training time, labor cost-saving ratio, and information transmission efficiency) into the Zero–one Goal Programming (ZOGP) model to capture the optimal smart long-term care information strategy portfolios. The results of this study indicate that a hybrid MCDM decision model can provide decision-makers with the optimal service platform selection for a smart long-term care information strategy that can maximize information service benefits and allocate constrained resources most efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial development is a critical factor for the economic development of a country. This study applies the fuzzy Delphi method (FDM) and a dynamic analytic network process (DANP) to develop a tool for the assessment of the resilience of industrial areas in Taiwan from the common-pool resources (CPRs) perspective to enhance the resilience of industrial areas and also ensure the efficient use of common urban disaster prevention resources. This study is innovative and may facilitate the assessment of the resilience of industrial areas and the validation of interactions between urban resilience, industrial area resilience and CPRs. The influencers of the resilience of industrial areas can be categorized into 5 dimensions and 24 indicators. The five dimensions are vulnerability, urban environment, industrial environment, factory properties, and governance and adaptation. The governance and adaptation dimension is the most crucial, and the five indicators with the highest weights are emergency response and planning, management organization, supervision, employee awareness of disaster prevention, and industry type. The results indicate the importance of adaptation and governance and response to the importance of Ostrom's (2005) CPRs. The study can be used as a reference for countries assessing the resilience of industrial areas and developing adaptation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In Taiwan, the Ministry of Education has been promoting University Social Responsibility (USR) since 2017. As every university differs in locations, specialties, features, and resources, how to choose and promote appropriate USR projects becomes an important issue. As stated above, this research has used hybrid multi-criteria decision-making methods to explore strategic indicators of USR promotion. First, based on the modified fuzzy Delphi Method, we conclude that 5 dimensions and 16 criteria are key factors for evaluation. Then through the fuzzy modified DEMATELbased analytic network process, we construct the interactions and relationships between all key factors and discuss their priority weights. Finally, through modified VIKOR, we have evaluated 3 USRSs’ performance from universities in northern Taiwan to find out key problems of the strategy execution so that we can assist in proposing better improving strategies for universities in the distribution and application of the teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even sustainable organizations have received overwhelming attention, but there is a lack of studies to explore the key success factors for sustainable traditional manufacturing based on expert opinions. The purpose of this study was to explore the key success factors for sustainable development in traditional industries through expert knowledge. In this study, the Delphi method was applied to construct the research framework with the most appropriate criteria. Moreover, we proposed an effective solution based on the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL)-based Analytic Network Process (ANP) to determine the correlation and causality of these factors based on the decision laboratory method for multi-criteria decision-making. We also integrated the importance–performance analysis to illustrate the attributes improvement priorities. Our results show that managers and policy-makers should concentrate more on knowledge management to enhance the sustainability of organizations. Moreover, managers should keep teamwork and employee engagement at a high level to achieve the goal of organizations. Additionally, the theoretical and practical implications provide five priority indicators for the success of a sustainable organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many port capacity upgrade projects, choosing a supplier of equipment is a complicated decision, project managers must consider many criteria to choose a supplier to ensure the project is completed on time, optimal in terms of benefit and cost. Therefore, selecting the equipment supplier in this project is a multi-criteria decision-making process. The multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) model is applied in many fields to select the optimal solution, but there are very few studies using the MCDM model to support project managers in evaluating and selecting optimal solutions in port capacity upgrade project. In this research, the authors combine Fuzzy Analytic Network Process model and Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment concepts to develop a decision support system in port capacity upgrade project. The scientific and practical contribution of this study is to successfully propose a decision support model in a fuzzy environment. The results of the study will be a useful guideline to assist decision makers in port capacity upgrading projects in Taiwan as well as in other countries around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird species survival and breeding depend on necessary abiotic and biotic components of farmland habitat. A hybrid model based on expert knowledge using Analytic Network Process (ANP) integrated with empirical data is a capable approach for conservation scientists to determine the habitat suitability for bird species. Our study assessed the suitable distribution in the ranges of farmland habitats for bird richness throughout Taiwan, focusing on the regularly occurring birds on farmlands. We established a framework for analyzing potential habitat indicators developed by expert interviews. Then, ANP was employed to compute the weight‐based priorities. By combining habitat indicators, we assessed and presented the spatial distribution of habitat suitability. The results show that southern and eastern regions of Taiwan with high habitat suitability scores cover 60,576.51 ha (27.98%) and 40,531.42 ha (30.09%), respectively. The model has an overall accuracy of 70.40%, showing a capable and reliable approach to assessing habitat suitability for bird richness on farmland. Our study highlights a valuable tool for the policy‐makers through exploring suitable farmland habitat spots, where further conservative practices and prudent biodiversity management should be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the strong demand for organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display products and the highly competitive global market, OLED enterprises need to proactively make product innovations for presuming business competitive advantage, high sales, high profits, high customer consuming value, and the sustainability of the enterprise. A suitable multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model for OLED new product development (NPD) can help OLED enterprises' R&D team to minimize risks and maximize the success rate of NPD. However, the literature reviews of the MCDM model for OLED NPD are very rare. This study aims to propose the approaches for establishing an integrated MCDM model for OLED NPD that apply three methodologies which include the literature review and expert panel, Interpretive structural modeling (ISM), and Fuzzy analytic network process (FANP). Meanwhile, after the implication of the proposed approaches in the case study of Taiwan OLED NPD, this study proposes an integrated MCDM model for OLED NPD in Taiwan. The research results reveal fifteen evaluation criteria of OLED NPD and their relative weight. Furthermore, the research results reveal the top three important criteria are return on investment, expert research and industry evaluation, and R&D funding preparation. The proposed approaches can be applied in other industries for establishing an integrated MCDM model for their own NPD. The proposed integrated MCDM model for OLED NPD in Taiwan can help enterprises in the Taiwan OLED industry to develop new OLED products in an efficient way and to boost sales, profits, and competitive advantages. Besides, this study enriches the research references of MCDM model for NPD and OLED field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imbalance between supply and demand for organs has been a global crisis, despite the efforts of transplant coordinators from healthcare institutions to promote donor registration. Because the patient's family has legal rights over the patient's remains, they can easily undermine any efforts spent on organ procurement by simply refusing the patient's consent before death in practice. Most related studies seldom mention the decision-making on organ donation from patients' families. The objectives of this study are to find what are the priorities of those factors acting as the pillars of organ donation by patients' families. This study applied the analytic network process (ANP) to the prioritization factors contributing toward the willingness of families to donate organs of intensive care unit patients. The purposive sampling method used structured questionnaires and ANP questionnaires to enroll 180 patients' families from five intensive care units who met the criteria in the regional teaching hospital of southern Taiwan. Through the ANP analysis, it was found that when family members made organ donation decisions, the weights of the four domains are as follows: psychology—47.6%, externality—20.3%, spirituality—19.7%, and physiology—12.3%. The main decision-making factors that influenced the weighting factors were "attitude" (31.5%), "physician's experience" (0.88%), "religion" (19.3%), and "organ selection" (31.9%). These results could assist organ donation teams to take the best strategies for persuading people to agree with organ donation and formulating an individual organ donation plan. [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]

• Land use change is one of the most significant drivers threatening wildlife habitats. • There is spatial nonstationarity between bird habitats and land use patterns. • We used expert knowledge to assess bird habitats and the impacts of land use changes. • We determined suitable bird habitats and an effective farmland conservation strategy. • An effective conservation strategy could more than double suitable bird habitat. Land use changes negatively impact agroecosystems, where the loss of wildlife habitats is increasingly threatening global biodiversity. Ecological conservation strategies that seek to reduce habitat destruction are important and strongly rely on understanding the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use change. In recent years, an expert-based approach using the Analytic Network Process (ANP) has been applied commonly to wildlife habitat assessment, and the Conversion of Land Use and its Effects at Small regional extent (CLUE-s) model is a well-known simulation tool used to predict land use dynamics. Although their effectiveness has been proven widely, existing studies have yet to integrate the two approaches into ecological modeling for conserving bird habitats under the influence of land use changes. Thus, there is a notable research gap regarding the potential synergies of the ANP and CLUE-s models to evaluate the spatial nonstationarity between bird habitats and land use patterns. In this study, we integrated use of the ANP to identify suitable habitats for birds on farmland with the CLUE-s model to predict future changes in habitat suitability by 2035. Our study aims to evaluate the efficiency of various conservation strategies for bird habitat in farmland ecosystems within the Zhuoshui River basin in Taiwan. We formulated conservation strategies to protect areas of farmland based on their relative suitability as bird habitats. The research findings reveal a significant reduction of farmland habitats coinciding with expanding built-up areas and forests, while designating farmland areas for conservation purposes effectively ensures the maintenance of bird habitats amidst these transformations. Conserving highly suitable farmland habitats (those whose suitability values ranked at or above the 75th percentile) presents the most effective strategy to mitigate the impacts of land use change on bird habitats. Under this strategy, changes in farmland habitats lead to a notable decrease of 16.4 % in low and very low suitability, whereas farmland habitats with moderate and high suitability significantly expand by 879.8 % and 225.9 %, respectively. Farmland habitats characterized by high suitability are concentrated in the western region of the Zhuoshui River basin, accounting for 2289 hectares. These findings underscore the magnitude of habitat loss resulting from land use changes outside conserved areas. Our research emphasizes the importance of implementing conservation strategies for bird habitats, providing policymakers with a framework to manage farmland ecosystems effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the policy gap in port selection of liner shipping companies. Based on the operational features of liner shipping and relevant literature, the port selection factors (PSFs) of liner shipping companies are first investigated. An assessment model of the policy gap based on an improved ANP (Analytic Network Process) approach is then proposed to assess the perceived differences in PSFs between the shipping companies and port companies. As an empirical study, the liner shipping companies in Taiwan and the Taiwan International Port Company (TIPC) were carried out to validate the model. The results indicate the PSFs related to Cargo volume are more important than those related to Port charge. Moreover, currently, TIPC faces two significant gaps, including one negative gap, Labor disputes, and one positive gap, Numbers and frequency of trunk shipping. Based on the results, theoretical and managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although certain countries have proposed revitalization to address the issue of inefficient industrial parks in recent years, there is little research exploring the causes of inefficient industrial parks—although this would help in formulating improvement strategies and further resource allocation. This study presents an evaluation framework for the causes of inefficient urban industrial parks based on a novel hybrid modified multi-attribute decision-making model in real cases, which includes three dimensions and 10 criteria. Two cases of "industrial parks designated by urban planning" in Taiwan were examined. The results of the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and the DEMATEL technique based on the basic concept of the analytic network process indicated that the parcel dimension (A1) and policy dimension (A3) had more influence on causing inefficiency in industrial parks. The criteria with bigger impact were "property rights (B1)," "size and shape (B2)," "location (B3)," "planning and development mechanisms (B8)," "management mechanisms (B9)," and "spatial planning policy for industry (B10)." The modified Vlse Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) revealed that policy dimension (A3) and its criteria have relatively poor performance in two cases; solving the policy dimension is the most critical strategy for IPDUP. This presented decision-making model not only identifies the key causes of the inefficient industrial park and further improvements to it, but also provides a direction for evaluating, planning, and developing sustainable industrial parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses industrial upgrading (I), export development (E), and investment promotion (K), or collectively, the IEK model to identify critical indicators to asses competitiveness of the service industry in Taiwan. The proposed development and evaluation model for the service industry uses the DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) method to construct an influential relationship between the dimensions and criteria; a DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP) to obtain influential weights; and a modified Vlšekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (m-VIKOR) method to assess gaps in industry development performance. It illuminates current industry demands and helps to improve service firms' operations through fewer developmental gaps and stronger policy and strategy. Further, an influential network relationship map (INRM) and influential weights can unravel the complex assessment system and prioritise industry improvements. The results demonstrate that upgrades must occur first to the industry, then to promoting of investments, and lastly, in developing exports. Finally, the practical implications for managing service firms have been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore managers' opinions on planning and design of location, building type, spatial layout, and interior design of adult day care centers (ADCCs). Background: The planning and design of new ADCCs affect subsequent service users and workflows. Studies explore the factors affecting such planning and design using qualitative methods and from the perspective of users. Quantitative methods are rarely employed to explore factors affecting planning and opinions on the design of ADCCs from administrators' perspective. Methods: Stratified sampling was used to collect data from managers of ADCCs in Taiwan. A mixed-method approach with an analytic hierarchy process was used to quantify the relative importance of factors affecting location and building type selections. Participants responded to open-ended interview questions followed by focus group interviews to examine the key points for spatial layout and interior design. Results: The managers deemed support and attitudes from local residents (group weight =.208) and authorities (group weight =.187) as their first two critical location selection criteria. Regarding their opinions on the conditions of building type, those that prioritized the products and technologies of facility design were deemed the most critical (group weight =.193), followed by those that valued daylight quality (group weight =.161). Six key points of spatial layout and interior design were obtained from the focus group interviews. Conclusions: This study provides a reference for the effective planning of operations, including geographical location, building type, spatial layout, and interior refurbishment and design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explored both the development policy of regional industry and the aerotropolis as an empirical object. In planning an aerotropolis, governments should account for both regional and industrial characteristics to establish appropriate policies for promoting industrial development that maximizes the benefits of invested resources. In this study, a composite multicriteria decision-making method was used to filter the optimal aerotropolis industry evaluation index through the fuzzy Delphi method. Subsequently, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory–based analytic network process was used to obtain the influence relations and weights between the indexes to establish an optimal industry plan. Satisfaction evaluation was then used to calculate the performance values of the programs and discover the optimal industries for the city to provide the government with a policy reference. This study found that the technical environment, product and industry networks, and basic environment were the most important aspects of the Taoyuan Aerotropolis. Aviation linkage and logistics services had the highest performance among industries, identifying them as the most suitable supplementary developments to the aviation industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction inspection is a crucial mechanism for evaluating the construction quality of public construction in Taiwan. Inspection scores are results based on the experiences or subjective evaluations of auditors. Although general rating principles and procedures are specified, objective standards are not adopted to determine scores and cannot concretely demonstrate actual construction quality. This study integrated the analytic network process (ANP) and fuzzy set (FS) to develop a construction quality index (CQI) model as a concrete indicator and objective standard for evaluating construction quality. Based on past defect data inspected by auditors, dependent factors for defects were established, and the ANP was employed to calculate the weights of all factors. Subsequently, the frequencies of defects for all items in a construction inspection were multiplied by the factor weights and summed to obtain a set of CQI values. Furthermore, the use of FS reasoning affects important defects (10 items) in project quality and important values (IV). The CQI values obtained were as follows. Grade A was lower than 1.0, Grade B was between 1.0 and 3.0, Grade C was between 3.0 and 5.0, and Grade D was greater than 5.0 (IV). The CQI model is based on the frequency of defects and weights, improves the problem of intuitive on-site ratings provided by auditors, and establishes an objective and simple method for rating construction quality to effectively enhance rating standards for construction inspections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditionally, package tour (PT) agencies assumed that tourists only pay attention to the PT's price, so PT service providers often offer limited package tours based on options and prices. Nowadays, PT service providers face the difficult challenge of how to offer diverse PTs to satisfy tourists' needs based on a reasonable price. This study proposes an evaluation model of package tours based on diverse resources and transportation means. This study proposes a two-dimensional evaluation framework to analyse tourists' needs regarding package tour services and the proposed model could be applied to plan mass customized package tours based on the portfolio of value satisfaction index (VSI) and the price satisfaction index (PSI). The study also proposes that mass customized package tours can improve the traditional tour planning method through a portfolio of diverse tourism resources. Moreover, the study integrates the different choices of traffic and transportation tools, as well as tourism resources and providers in six portfolios of package tours in the Nantou county of Taiwan. These six package tours can be planned through three traffic and transportation tools (tourist coach, railroad, and minibus) and four tourism resources (natural experiences, cultural exploration, shopping and cuisine, and event participation). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity multi-criteria decision-making methods have been developed to address different complex decision-making problems, and the analytic network process has been found to be one of the most effective techniques. There is an increase in the quality and quantity of publications related to the analytic network process. This detailed overview can provide the research status and development characteristics of analytic network process research and will be useful to researchers for future research directions. To achieve these goals, bibliometric techniques were used. In addition, past and present hotspots of analytic network process research were concluded, and future research trends were determined. The bibliometric analysis was carried out from various aspects including countries and regions, institutions, journals, authors, research areas, articles and author keywords based on data harvested from the Web of Science database. There were 1485 analytic network process-related publications retrieved from the Web of Science. The results show that Expert Systems with Applications was the most productive journal publishing articles in analytic network process research (118); its number of publications has decreased dramatically since 2013, while Journal of Cleaner Production has shown an upward trend in recent years and ranks second with 47 publications. The most collaborative country is the United States. Taiwan takes a leading position in analytic network process research with 436 publications (29.36%), and National Chiao Tung University, which is located in Taiwan, produced the most articles and has gained the highest h -index (28). The major hot topics that employ analytic network process are sustainability, environmental management and supply chain management. These topics may continue to attract more attention in the future. ∙ The development status of analytic network process was analyzed based on bibliometrics. ∙ Past and present hotspots of analytic network process research were concluded. ∙ Future research trends of analytic network process research were figured out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments worldwide are cognizant of the deficiencies of measuring quality of life according to gross domestic product; consequently, they have created indicators of citizen well-being that can be applied in governmental policy. To improve citizens' lives, governments should create an environment with maximal quality of life, ideal material living conditions, and sustainable well-being and determine the true needs of citizens. This paper proposes a hybrid multiple-attribute decision-making model with a modified PROMETHEE method that can identify practical performance-improvement strategies for the sustainable development of a better life by accounting for the complex dependencies among the indicators. In the proposed model, an influential network relation map is first obtained using the DEMATEL method to delineate the interrelationships among the indicators. Second, to address the feedback and dependence concerns associated with interrelationships among criteria, the influence weights are identified through the DANP method. Finally, the degree of preference is determined through the modified PROMETHEE method and combined with the influence weights to calculate flow indicators, which facilitate attaining the aspiration level. The aspiration level is set and an aspiration alternative is identified as an improvement benchmark to facilitate continual melioration and sustainable development of a better life. This model uses the OECD well-being indicators consisting of 11 dimensions and 24 criteria to measure material living conditions (namely housing, income, jobs) and quality of life (namely civic engagement, community, education, environment, health, life satisfaction, safety, and work–life balance). An empirical case study was performed to illustrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed model by using questionnaire data of six cities in Taiwan. Our results prove that the proposed model (aspired-worst as benchmark) outperforms the traditional model (max–min as benchmark) and that it can obtain more realistic net flows and an improvement benchmark to conduct ranking, selection, and continual improvement for facilitating sustainable development of a better life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air travel service providers can guide customer perceptions by marketing campaigns with celebrity endorsement. This study employs hybrid multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) techniques to select celebrity endorsers for international airlines in Taiwan. Firstly, the fuzzy Delphi method is applied to obtain the selection criteria from interviewed senior executives. In the second stage, the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is used to find the causal relationships among the criteria within each perspective. Based on the result of DEMATEL, the analytic network process (ANP) is applied to obtain the respective weights of each. In order to avoid calculation and additional pairwise comparisons of ANP, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is used to rank the alternatives. An empirical case study is carried out for validation of the proposed model's effectiveness. This study contributes to literature by extending a novel hybrid MCDM model in the endorser selection field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most recent discussion of the adaptive reuse of school land has focused almost exclusively on repurposing or redeploying vacant school space rather than comprehensively re-planning and constructing the entire school land for the overall needs of society and urban development. The relevant government agencies for school land reuse in Taiwan, such as the Ministry of Education and municipal governments, mostly provide subjective regulations or revitalization provisions for the sustainable development of school resources; however, no specific scientific assessment or a planning procedure has been proposed to revitalize school land. Therefore, constructing a scientific, quantitative, and objective planning framework and procedure is necessary for the adaptive reuse of school land based on the needs of overall society and urban development in order to replace the existing and outdated planning philosophy and to correct prominent shortcomings of past planning operations that were solely in accordance with the qualitative judgment and decision making of official agencies. In this study, we mainly adopted the analytic network process (ANP) and big data, including demographics, facility usage, and social welfare indicators, to assist the Taipei City government to construct or reform land reuse strategies for junior high and elementary schools facing immediate or future closure, consolidation, or downsizing. To take a more realistic approach to improve final decision making, the investigation of expert questionnaires through the ANP was based on the consideration of future trends that were objectively evaluated by big datasets. The novel planning philosophy and concise decision framework for reuse strategies we designed are expected to improve public decision-making transparency, adaptive reuse effectiveness, and quality of urban life. Ultimately, our proposed strategies and suggestions can not only assist local public sectors to promote the policy of adaptive reuse of surplus school lands but also serve as an appropriate blueprint of urban sustainability for the central government in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this study, the Fuzzy Delphi Method was adopted to select evaluation indicators. The traditional analytic hierarchy process and the analytic networking process were used to calculate the order of priority for the weights of various strategies. These methods were applied in conjunction to develop a model for evaluating the management strategies of urban regeneration stations (URS). This model can serve as a reference for reviewing and improving policy performance and identifying the key factors relevant to promoting urban regeneration by governments worldwide. Furthermore, the study outcomes can serve as a reference for the Taiwanese government for future promotion of urban regeneration policies and relevant research. Finally, the research results were compared with current URS management strategies and promotion projects in Taiwan to form suggestions for improvement. Highlights • The evaluation parameters were determined by Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) and reuse projects were evaluated by Analytic Network Process (ANP). • The investigation developed a model for evaluating the management strategies of urban regeneration stations (URS) by means of FDM and ANP. • Results were compared with current URS management strategies and promotion projects in Taiwan to form suggestions for improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the selection problem inherent in the maintenance and preservation of cultural heritage and historic buildings. In the past, the implementation of public urbandevelopment policies has often failed to consider local characteristics, leading to the inadequate preservation of cultural heritage. Proper maintenance and preservation of cultural heritage and historic buildings enhances urban socioeconomic conditions (physical benefit), preserves a city's public memories (nonphysical benefit), and contributes to the significant goal of sustainable cultural and/or historic assets. However, there are currently very few specific methods and techniques that appropriately and objectively determine restoration priorities and funding reallocation for the maintenance and preservation of cultural heritage and historic buildings. This paper suggests an integrated decision-making model for local governments that determines restoration priorities and funding-reallocation strategies for the maintenance and preservation of cultural heritage. The model, which includes the fuzzy Delphi technique, the fuzzy analytic network process, and the zero-one goal programming method, is used to examine a real-world empirical study of an architectural-project selection problem involving seven cultural-heritage sites in Taipei City, Taiwan. The results indicate that the maintenance of cultural assets could be objectively and appropriately implemented by local governments and decision-making units to avoid funding misallocation and inefficient use of resources. The research evaluation framework also identifies the projects with the highest restoration priority, as well as feasible alternatives, given the available budget, which could be used to support future cultural-heritage revitalization efforts or subsequent studies of priority evaluation and resource allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article proposes a bikeability assessment method to evaluate zone-based friendliness to biking within an area. The proposed method is developed as an analytic network process (ANP) that contains grey numbers and multiple assessment criteria. The grey ANP is unique in bikeability literature and overcomes the disadvantages of existing assessment methods in the following ways. (1) The ANP framework can manage the interdependences among criteria and zones, (2) the multiple assessment criteria can consider comprehensive perspectives of bikeability, and (3) the grey numbers measure possible ranges of criteria performances and are good at handling various performances within a zone. The application of the method to the bikeability assessment of zones in Daan District, Taipei City, Taiwan not only verifies the effectiveness of the method but also provides action directions to the local administration in developing bike-friendly environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital content (DC) is one of the most important areas of growth within the global creative and knowledge-based economy. The paper aims to propose a systematic approach to evaluating strategies to develop DC industry and how it should be effectively implemented. Our analysis employs a hybrid multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) approach by using the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) method to deal with the interrelationship among criteria, and the analytic network process (ANP) method is employed to determine the relative weights of each criterion. Finally, in order to choose the alternative for the ideal solution of this problem, a technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) is used. To demonstrate the validity of this method, the Taiwan's DC industry is used as an illustrative case. The study generates results that can serve as a reference for decision-makers in the formulation of their development strategies for DC. Moreover, the evaluation model constructed in this study goes beyond existing measures and may serve as a reference for a decision-maker. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In Taiwan, even though the highway agencies have been making effort to improve the overall serviceability of the road system, more often than not, road users were not satisfied with the performance of the maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) activities. This paper focuses on the performance of M&R activities in Taiwan from the road users’ perspective. Surveys were conducted to collect the users’ perception (serving as the performance) of the M&R activities. The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) are jointly used to quantify the performance of M&R activities. DEMATEL is employed to understand the influence among the criteria/elements, and ANP is used to determine the relative weights of the elements. It is found that the respondents were most concerned about unsafe conditions due to manhole covers, damaged manhole covers, insufficient street lighting, potholes and bumps on pavements, and uneven pavements. Furthermore, the performance of M&R activities implemented on six major road types in Taiwan is analysed using the Formal Concept Analysis (FCA) method. Based on the concept lattice and association rules derived from FCA, directions for the improvement of M&R activities are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary purpose of this study was to explore how food dealers develop methods that facilitate transaction efficiency and how they select the optimal food channels. This study establishes a model according to the impact of transaction cost factors on consumers' decision-making regarding purchase of fresh snack foods. Using fresh snack foods in Taiwan as an example, this study employed a fuzzy analytic network process to solve decision-making problems with multiple criteria by comparing the interaction between each transaction cost factor to obtain the factorweightings aswell as theweightings of the transaction costs at each decision stage. This study found that food safety assurance and providing sufficient nutrition informationwere themost essential topics; thus, the optimal choice for snack food producers is to develop retail outlets. This study construction process proposed is innovative and operational, and the results may provide a reference for snack food dealers or microfood enterprises to assist them in developing their food channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of financial problems among the elderly has garnered the attention of multiple generations. In 2018, Taiwan formally attained an ageing society status. In order to address the financial difficulties elderly people face, an annuity system reform was launched by the Taiwanese government. Reverse mortgage lending, which is performed on the basis of house-for-pension, is an alternate method for enhancing their standard of living and sustaining their financial stability. The elderly applicants often mortgage their properties to financial institutions in order to maintain a steady cash flow for the fulfilment of their daily needs and live their remaining years in the mortgaged properties without vacating. Prior studies on house-for-pension in the Taiwanese context primarily concentrated on institutional implementation analysis but limitedly explored the uncertainty risks banks face when implementing the house-for-pension scheme. First, a literature review on the risks associated with house-for-pension reverse mortgage financing and comprehensive interviews with banking industry professionals were conducted. Subsequently, in the Taiwanese banking sector, assessment criteria for important risk factors in house-for-pension reverse mortgage financing were devised. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was utilised to assess the interdependence of the assessment criteria. Next, the DEMATEL-based analytic network process (ANP) or DANP were used to calculate the weights of evaluation criteria. By employing modified VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), a gap analysis was undertaken on the assessment criteria and sub-criteria. The study's findings serve as a guideline for the Taiwanese banking industry in formulating, improving, or amending the risk exposure mitigation measures for reverse mortgage lending. • This study concentrates on crucial risk indicators in the Taiwanese banking industry's house-for-pension reverse mortgage lending. • An assessment model was created for major risk indicators in house-for-pension reverse mortgage lending in the Taiwanese banking market. • The DEMATEL was used to generate the INRM concerning evaluation criteria. • The weights assessment criteria/sub-criteria were determined using the DANP. • Using the modified VIKOR, the gap values of the evaluation criteria/sub-criteria were determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecosystem of digital technologies in Industry 4.0 is growing continuously, new data and information sources integration rising has carried notable value in waste management transitions with various technological barriers remains. The municipal solid waste management technological attributes are illustrated by qualitative information, and it is hard to form the consistent interdependence hierarchical structure under interrelationships. This study applies the fuzzy Delphi method to obtain the valid attributes. Fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory is to envisage the interrelationships among the attributes. The analytic network process is to test the consistency among the hierarchical structures. The results provide an insight of municipal solid waste management technological barriers in Taiwan. The cyber-physical limitations, artificial intelligence application challenges, and human interface problems as cause aspects. In practices, (1) inadequate public data, (2) robotic process automation limitations, and (3) lack of predictive and emergency assistance, hinders the municipal solid waste management technological improvement. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between green supply chain (GSC) and firm performance has been thoroughly studied, and it has been argued that firms are unlikely to perform well if they apply their capabilities in isolation. However, there is a lack of studies that identify the competitive determinants, the critical success factors, of GSC capabilities of firms, and the evaluation of GSC capabilities is predisposed to subjective and linguistic preferences. This study proposes to address the vague nature of qualitative measures using the fuzzy Delphi method to filter the measures and the fuzzy analytic network process to deal with the linguistic preferences in hierarchical structure of firms' GSC capabilities. Data were collected from supply chain networks of electronic industry in Taiwan. This study presents empirical evidence of firms' GSC capabilities, concluding that cost is the top competitive determinant and the environmental costs is the top priority of GSC capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The successful introduction and acceleration of new service development is important for obtaining a competitive advantage in many countries. However, selecting the right service to be adopted and developed is a challenging task. The aim of this study is to build a service evaluation model to evaluate various nationally available services for new service development based on a hybrid model. First, the interpretive structural modeling method is used to deal with the interrelationships among various criteria and sub-criteria. Then, the analytic network process method is employed to evaluate the weights and find the most appropriate service for development. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed method, Taiwan's service industry is used as an illustrative case. The results show that the model can be applied to decision making regarding the evaluation and selection of an available service for new service development (NSD), which may be helpful for service policy decision makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Service quality plays an important role to pursue excellence of total quality management. Measurement of service quality requires criteria that are not only subjective but also intangible. This study proposes a Fuzzy Analytic approach for the measurement of service quality while making use of the fuzzy nature of attitude measurement and taking into consideration the dependency among several criteria. An integration of fuzzy AHP and ANP is utilized to deal with various relationships among evaluation criteria. Service quality for a Taiwanese commercial bank is measured by the proposed method. Appropriate criteria for the bank's service quality are developed based on existing literature and interviews of the bank's managers. Factor analysis shows that the service quality is composed by employee skills, accessibility, and tangibility. The fuzzy approach is then implemented to calculate the weights of criteria based on the relationship among them. The overall service quality can be measured by summing up the weighted score. The proposed approach is found useful to measure service quality in accordance with real world situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transfer of university technology 2 2 This study adopts the definition of university technology transfer suggested by Siegel et al. (2003) . to industry involves a multitude of mechanisms which can be broken down into an even larger number of activities. These mechanisms and activities include launching technology-oriented start-ups, and providing the following: collaborative research, contract research, consulting services, technology licensing, graduate education, advanced training for enterprise staff, exchange of research staff, and other forms of formal or informal information transfer. Taking Taiwan's universities as a research base, this study intends to identify the critical drivers affecting the performance of university technology transfer. The Fuzzy Delphi method, interpretive structural modeling (ISM), and the analytic network process (ANP) are employed sequentially to derive the relative importance of the various performance drivers. Human capital and institutional/cultural resources are the two most emphasized resources for the improvement of university technology transfer in Taiwan. Some policy implications are derived on the basis of these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We considered the habitat suitability for birds on farmland in Chiayi County, Taiwan. • We elicited expert opinion through the ANP approach to assess the ecological factors. • ANP-empirical data integration supports the mapping process of habitat suitability. • We generated maps showing the suitable habitats spatially for birds on farmland. • The findings provide useful information for management and conservation planning. Farmland harbors valuable biodiversity, providing habitats and associated resources for birds. However, environmental change is affecting the habitat availability within agricultural landscapes. Thus, conserving farmland areas that have the potential to provide habitats for birds is increasingly considered to mitigate pressure on ecological systems. Incorporating these concerns into bird habitat analysis to aid in conservation actions is needed to assist policy developers in protecting bird habitats in Taiwan efficiently. In the present study, we propose combining an expert-based approach with empirical data to develop an evaluation of bird habitat suitability on farmlands. Experts were initially gathered to construct a research framework and then express their judgments on ecological factors. We obtained the significant factors such as farmland fragmentation, farmland landscape heterogeneity, and distance to surrounding vegetation within fifteen evaluated sub-criteria under four criteria of farmland functionality, farmland utilization, farmland located within a major conservation area, and farmland landscape ecology as the habitat requirements of birds. Combing the weight-based priority and empirical data, we finally determined a highly suitable habitat for birds accounting for 31.92% of farmlands. In an assessment involving bird distribution records in the study area, the accuracy derived from model validation is 91.25%. The findings of this work can provide authorities and policymakers with potential hotspots for ecosystem conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applies fuzzy set theory in attempting to evaluate important attributes of the tourism and gourmet business environment in Taiwan. This business environment is composed of various attributes that are difficult to measure. To overcome these challenges, we integrated the fuzzy Delphi method, the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method, and the analytic network process to evaluate the business environment. We found that the most significant aspect of the tourism and gourmet business environment is human resources and that the least significant aspect of this industry is market development. The most significant criteria are enhanced industry competitiveness and opportunities to develop the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplier selection is a good strategy for firms that can reduce operating costs and improve competitiveness for computer, communication and consumer electronics (3C) industry. The major aim of this research is to build a systematic approach for establishing a supplier selection model, and then prioritize improvement criteria in order to best supply chain management. The study proposed a hybrid approach by using the interpretive structural modeling (ISM) method to deal with the interrelationship among criteria, and the analytic network process (ANP) method is employed to recognize the criteria of supplier selection and evaluate with respect to environmental competency for the case of Taiwan's 3C industry. The study shows that the proposed model could be an effective and efficient decision-making tool that can be easily extended to other contexts. Especially, it has provided decision-makers and researchers with better understanding of the differences in supplier selection activity needs and specific management interventions by examining these criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Transportation infrastructure planning can have significant impacts on urban development. However, to fund infrastructure projects can be a challenging task. On one hand, resources are normally too scared to undertake all feasible projects. On the other hand, the transportation investment decision-making process has become increasingly complex and under severe scrutiny (particularly in the early planning stages) as the degree of uncertainty embedded in the outcome of a project increases. Facing uncertainty and resource constraints, public administrators need to decide which projects to fund, and by how much. Therefore, an appropriate appraisal mechanism should be established to optimize all objectives simultaneously. The mechanism should be able to evaluate and prioritize project implementation difficulty levels based on the associations among project resource requirements. It should also be able to assess the interdependencies within project properties. Thus, an appropriate appraisal mechanism evaluates and prioritizes performance, uncertainty, project demands and needs, and resource constraints among possible candidate projects. Taking into account the concepts of benefit-opportunity-cost-risk and multi-objective optimization, this study presents a robust model by combining Monte Carlo Simulation and Analytic Network Process techniques. An empirical study of a large-scale nationwide (east-west) highway improvement program in Taiwan is conducted to illustrate how the modeling process proceeds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In recent years, considerable interests in improved walking environments have been generated to encourage non-motorized transportation modes to reduce pollution emissions and to improve public health. The transit-oriented development (TOD) model has become one of the effective priority solutions. TOD planning gives us an idea that urban design factors and a pedestrian-friendly design are positive planning factors in reducing automobile use through the reduction of automobile traffic speed and enhancing pedestrian accessibility to a transit center. To investigate the pedestrian needs and the walkability design for TOD is the aim for aiding in identifying an approach that would allow an appropriate assessment of the walking environment and justification for improvements. The purpose of this study is to improve and enhance the city design of the pedestrian space in a city. Furthermore, we hope to meet the needs of users and utilize the existing resources in order to achieve the maximum benefits. To solve this complex problem, we apply multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) technique to the specific problem. Using the top down and bottom up together technique named house of quality (HOQ) matrix combined with analytic network process (ANP), we can realize the relationships between the technical requirements and the pedestrian needs of the planning and design issues of the walkability under the transit-oriented development. In this way, we can establish an objective and effective urban pedestrian space design model. Finally, in order to illustrate the research problem more practically, we take the MRT station of Xindian in New Taipei City, Taiwan as the empirical example. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Taiwan's automotive industry has undergone tremendous changes during the past decades as a result of joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002. After entering the WTO, Taiwanese automotive industries are facing the impact of tariff reduction, open import and the cancellation of self-made rate and taxation preferential, they are also encountering global competitive environmental threats, hence a reduction in operation costs and reinforcement of competitive advantage of the enterprise are required to embrace WTO's impact. A key strategy to reinforce competitiveness is effectively selecting the best supplier for operation cost reduction. The supplier selection is a multi-criterion decision making problem which includes both qualitative and quantitative criteria. Many criteria may conflict with each other which makes the decision making process complicated. In this paper, we propose to develop a systematic process for automotive industry supplier selection: a two-stage solution approach for supplier selection using Fuzzy Analytic Network Process-Goal Programming (FANP-GP) and De Novo Programming (DNP). The first stage is the FANP method integrated with the GP model to select the best supplier and to decide the optimal order quantity. In the second stage, the selected suppliers are evaluated based on the DNP method by adjusting their resource constraints and increase their capacity to achieve the minimum total procurement budget. Furthermore, a case study is conducted to illustrate the stages in the supplier selection for the lead industry-automotive industry. The result provides the idealised supplier selection model for automotive industry by the systematic process to facilitate in the decision making activity and helps to effectively select the best supplier significantly reduces purchasing costs and improves corporate competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Supplier selection has been a popular topic since the selection of the most appropriate supplier for cooperation is being increasingly important for the success of an enterprise. The problem is multi-criteria in nature, and a variety of multi-criteria decision making methodologies have been proposed. However, most of them did not take into account the interrelationships among the critical success factors and the fuzziness of the data involved in deciding the preferences of the factors. The objective of this research is to propose a fuzzy analytic network process model to evaluate various aspects of suppliers. With the consultation with the experts, the proposed model can consider the feedback and interdependency of factors in a network, and the factors are pairwise compared under an uncertain environment. The weights of factors can be calculated, and the final priority of suppliers obtained. Semiconductor industry becomes increasingly globalize competitive nowadays, and a good supply chain relationship is essential for a company to survive and to acquire reasonable profit. Thus, a case study of IC packaging company selection in Taiwan is presented, and the proposed model is applied to facilitate the decision process. The priorities of the factors and the ranking of the suppliers can be a recommendation or reference for decision makers when making a supplier evaluation and selection decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study applies the Analytic Network Process (ANP) to forecast the sales volume of printers in Taiwan for adjusting the recycling and treatment fee as an incentive for recycling industries. When historical data are lacking and when a broad spectrum of social impact is involved, the ANP, with the capacity to manage dependence and feedback among the factors, can serve as a tool to forecast outcomes by using expert judgment. The priorities derived from numerical judgment are similar to probabilities. They are obtained from the limit supermatrix of the ANP that represents forecasts for the next period. The result of back testing has shown that the ANP’s percentage error is small compared with those of some naïve statistical techniques. Sensitivity analysis is also made to ensure robustness of the model. Finally, the characteristic strengths of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and ANP in forecasting are discussed to simplify their use in future applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an analytic network process (ANP) approach for the selection of potential sites for CO2 geological storage as basis for further exploring geological features and simulation of transport characteristics. Site selection for CO2 geological storage in this study can be considered as a complex multi-criteria decision-making problem, and thus a multi-criteria decision model with eight evaluation criteria is proposed. ANP is applied to site selection and is characterized by interdependencies among decision structure components. An illustrative example in the geological field of oil and gas reservoirs in Taiwan is presented to demonstrate ways to select and rank the most appropriate site in terms of storage capability. The results obtained in this study have proven that ANP-based approach is a useful tool in pre-screening potential sites for CO2 geological storage, enabling decision-makers to facilitate CO2 storage within climate policy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is known that the overall competitive advantages enjoyed by the Taiwanese higher education system have been decreasing in recent years relative to the educational systems of other countries. In light of aiming to become a kingdom of innovation, how to regain its competitive advantages over the very short term has become a critical issue requiring immediate attention. Based on previous research indicating that improving innovation is among the primary ways of enhancing an education system's competitive advantages, that creativity is the foundation of innovation, that organizations that truly understand human creativity and are committed to nurturing it and living with the consequences of doing so are those that are most likely to succeed, and that students are a major group to be regarded as the backbone of a nation's future development, the aim of this study is to explore critical criteria for creativity, which could significantly improve the creativity of college students. Although related studies can be found today, these studies seem to ignore the different effects of different dimensions of creativity evaluation, leading to results that are irrational and not completely suitable for real practice. In this regard, a perception of interrelationships among these dimensions is thus taken into account while calculating weights of evaluation creativity dimensions and criteria. In accordance with the result, the top six explored critical creativity criteria are shown to help enhance today's college students' creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green performance measure is vital for enterprises in making continuous improvements to maintain sustainable competitive advantages. Evaluation of green performance, however, is a challenging task due to the dependence complexity of the aspects, criteria, and the linguistic vagueness of some qualitative information and quantitative data together. To deal with this issue, this study proposes a novel approach to evaluate the dependence aspects and criteria of firm's green performance. The rationale of the proposed approach, namely green network balanced scorecard, is using balanced scorecard to combine fuzzy set theory with analytical network process (ANP) and importance-performance analysis (IPA) methods, wherein fuzzy set theory accounts for the linguistic vagueness of qualitative criteria and ANP converts the relations among the dependence aspects and criteria into an intelligible structural modeling used IPA. For the empirical case study, four dependence aspects and 34 green performance criteria for PCB firms in Taiwan were evaluated. The managerial implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate and position the perceptions of importance and performance of municipal solid waste management aspects and criteria. The study results propose dependence relations among four aspects and 33 criteria pertaining to metropolitan Taipei. Evaluation was based on linguistically described preferences and multiple aspects and criteria analysis; in particular, applied fuzzy set theory was used to evaluate linguistic vagueness, and the analytic network process was applied for dependence relations among the aspects and criteria. In order to compile managerial implications and concluding remarks, importance-performance analysis was conducted, using several mathematical techniques applied to the objectives as well as the participation and input of professionals and academicians. Overall results and concluding remarks are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's increasingly competitive business world, selecting and evaluating the suppliers is one of the most important activities of a company. In the Taiwanese TV industry, selecting optimal suppliers of programs is also vital. But few attempts have so far been made to address this specific point. After reviewing the literature, we collect criteria for the selection of a program supplier. Considering the interdependence among the selection criteria, the analytic network process (ANP) is applied to help Taiwanese TV companies to effectively select optimal program suppliers. To avoid the complicated computing process from additional pairwise comparisons of the ANP, we retain the 12 critical criteria according to the opinions of the 44 senior executives about the importance of criteria: Quality, On-time, Marketability, Reputation, Rating, Finance, Relationship, Attitude, Communication, Creativity, Price and Time. Subsequently, we discuss with senior executives to group these criteria into 4 perspectives to structure the hierarchy for the selection of program suppliers. According to the hierarchy based on 4 perspectives and 12 vital criteria, Taiwanese TV companies could select optimal program suppliers more effectively. Moreover, the practical application of the ANP presented in Section 4 is generic and also suitable to be exploited for Taiwanese TV companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]