Deck 14: Decision Making Considering Multiattributes

Question 1

As a recent college graduate you are ready for the same thing every recent graduate is ready for - a new car! You know this is a big decision, so you want to immediately put to use the tools you learned in engineering economy. Define five attributes you would use in the selection of a new car and rank them in order of importance. Assign approximate weights to the attributes by using a method discussed in this chapter. Be prepared to defend your attributes and their weights. (Problem, Problem 1)
Problem
You have inherited a large sum of money from Aunt Bee. You think the purchase of a beach house would be a good investment. Besides a good investment, you could enjoy the house with your family for many years to come. You live about 150 miles from the ocean, and there are several communities that would be excellent candidates for your purchase (or for building a new house). Identify five attributes, with at least three nonmonetary, that would be important in your decision of where to purchase or build. Specify appropriate values that you might assign to the nonmonetary attributes. Assign approximate weights to these attributes by using a method discussed in this chapter.
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Answer 1

The following attributes must be considered for buying a car.
1) Looks of the car -The way a car looks is very important while buying a car. An attractive car may find more buyers just based on how it looks. The looks of the car are considered using non-compensatory model of weightage.
2) Technology used in the car -If the technology used in the car is advanced then the car will perform better. This attribute is weighed using compensatory model of weightage.
3) Price of the car -The price of a car is one of the most important factors while buying a car. If a car is too expensive then it may not find any buyers in spite of the good quality of the car. The price of the car is analyzed using compensatory model of weightage.
4) Fuel consumption of the car -In any car today high fuel consumption is a big turnoff. The fuel consumption is analyzed using compensatory model of weightage.
5) Brand value of the car -The brand value of the company many times outweighs the actual performance value of the car. A renowned brand may command a bigger buyer base than a lesser-known brand. The brand value is considered using non-compensatory model of weightage.

Question 2

List two advantages and two disadvantages of noncompensatory models for dealing with multiattribute decision problems. Do the same for compensatory models. (Problem, Problem 1)
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using (a) dominance, (b) satisficing, (c) disjunctive resolution, and (d) lexicography. (14.6)
Table Data for Problem
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Answer 2

Non-compensatory models consider all the attributes of an object while a decision is to be made about more than one alternative.
Advantages of non-compensatory models
1) The alternatives are compared on face value without any complicated calculations. Therefore, it is easy to choose among alternatives.
2) All the alternatives are considered in the analysis so all the dimensions of a decisions are analyzed.
3) They do not require any complicated calculations so decisions can be made quickly.
Disadvantages of Non-compensatory models
1) No calculations are required while making a decision so often a decision is not reached when considering alternatives.
2) If the alternatives have differences that are difficult to identify, then it would be difficult to eliminate any one of the alternatives.
3) The non-compensatory models have a tendency to "satisfice" and not optimize.
Compensatory models convert all attributes to a single unit and compare this single dimensional property.
Advantages of compensatory models
1) All attributes are converted to a single unit therefore, a decision is always reached.
2) In case there arises a situation where a tie is reached, then a tiebreaker is used to come to a decision.
3) Decisions can be achieved mathematically and are more fact based.
Disadvantages of Compensatory models
1) In this model type, the weighting technique is subjective.
2) The decisions are achieved with the help of mathematical analysis, which is time-consuming.
3) Coming to a decision mathematically requires a certain amount of skill, therefore cannot be achieved by everybody.

Question 3

You have inherited a large sum of money from Aunt Bee. You think the purchase of a beach house would be a good investment. Besides a good investment, you could enjoy the house with your family for many years to come. You live about 150 miles from the ocean, and there are several communities that would be excellent candidates for your purchase (or for building a new house). Identify five attributes, with at least three nonmonetary, that would be important in your decision of where to purchase or build. Specify appropriate values that you might assign to the nonmonetary attributes. Assign approximate weights to these attributes by using a method discussed in this chapter. (Problem, Problem 1)
Problem
You have inherited a large sum of money from Aunt Bee. You think the purchase of a beach house would be a good investment. Besides a good investment, you could enjoy the house with your family for many years to come. You live about 150 miles from the ocean, and there are several communities that would be excellent candidates for your purchase (or for building a new house). Identify five attributes, with at least three nonmonetary, that would be important in your decision of where to purchase or build. Specify appropriate values that you might assign to the nonmonetary attributes. Assign approximate weights to these attributes by using a method discussed in this chapter.
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Answer 3

For buying the beach house the following attributes can be considered
1) Price of the house -The purchase price of the house is probably the biggest factor while buying the house. The price should be in the budget range to be considered or any type of decision on buying the house. This factor is weighted using the compensatory model of decision-making.
2) Location of the house -The location of the house should be favorable to the demands of the buyer. It should cater to all the needs that the buyer may desire while buying the house. This factor is weighted using the non-compensatory model of decision-making.
3) Expenses on the house -The condition of the house determines the amount of improvement work that will be required after buying the house. On top of that there will be other expenses such that maintenance, etc. These factors will be weighted using the compensatory model of decision-making.
4) Proximity to the beach -Since, the house being bought is a beach house then the factor of the distance of the house from the beach is an important factor. This factor will be weighted using the non-compensatory model of decision-making.
5) Security -The security issues relating to the house is also an important factor and also this attribute may add up to the expenses while buying the house. This factor will be measured using the non-compensatory model of decision-making.

Question 4

Discuss some of the difficulties of developing nonlinear functions for nondimensional scaling of qualitative (subjective) data. (Problem)
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 5

Given the matrix of outcomes in Table for alternatives and attributes (with higher numbers being better), show what you can conclude, using the following methods: (Problem)
a. Satisficing
b. Dominance
c. Lexicography, with rank-order of attributes D C B A
Table Matrix of Outcomes for Problem

Question 6

With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 7

You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis. (Problem)
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 8

Three large industrial centrifuge designs are being considered for a new chemical plant.
Data for Problem
a. By using the data in Table on p. 570, recommend a preferred design with each method that was discussed in this chapter for dealing with nonmonetary attributes.
b. How would you modify your analysis if two or more of the attributes were found to be dependent (e.g., maintenance and product quality)(Problem Problem 1)
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 9

Mary Jones utilized the additive weighting technique to select a job with Sigma Ltd., in Macon, Georgia. The importance weights she placed on the four attributes in Table were social climate = 1.00, starting salary = 0.50, career advancement = 0.33, and weather/sports = 0.25. Nondimensional values given to her ratings in Table were excellent = 1.00, very good = 0.70, good = 0.40, fair = 0.25, and poor = 0.10.
a. Normalize Mary's importance weights.
b. Develop nondimensional values for the starting salary attribute.
c. Use the results of (a) and (b) in a decision matrix to see if Mary's choice was consistent with the results obtained from the additive weighting technique. (Problem)
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis. (Problem 1)
Problem 1
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 10

Hiring an employee is always a multiattribute decision process. Most jobs possess a diversity of requirements, and most applicants have a diversity of skills to bring to the job. Table matches a set of desired attributes with the capabilities of four job applicants for a job in a pharmaceutical company. Use the tools of this chapter to examine the candidates. (Problem)
Who would be chosen or eliminated using
a. dominance (consider more years of experience preferred to fewer)
b. satisficing
c. disjunctive resolution
d. lexicography with the following priorities: project management skills general attitude years manufacturing experience previous management experience total years experience
Data for Problem
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 11

The town of Whoopup has decided that it needs a new public library. Although the city leaders have made this decision, the decision of location of the library is still an open question. Knowing that you have a background in economic decision making, they selected you to formulate their decision problem.
You gather data from the city leaders to determine the important attributes to consider in the decision; you then acquire information for both sites and present it in Table (see p. 572).
Use the tools introduced in this chapter to make a site recommendation. Prepare to defend your analysis. (Problem Problem 1)
Table Data for Problem
Data scaled from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest possible rating.
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 12

You have volunteered to serve as a judge in a Midwestern contest to select Sunshine, the most wholesome pig in the world. Your assessments of the four finalists for each of the attributes used to distinguish among semifinalists are shown in Table
a. Use dominance, feasible ranges, lexicography, and additive weighting to select your winner. Develop your own feasible ranges and weights for the attributes. (Problem Problem 1)
Assessment of Four Finalists for Problem
b. If there were two other judges, discuss how the final selection of this year's Sunshine might be made. (Problem 1)
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem
Problem 1
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 13

Consider the data from Problem. The human resources department requires that non-dimensional scaling be applied to make your decision. Rate the individual attributes using where appropriate. For the attribute Project Management Skills, use a score of 0 for No and 1 for Yes. For General Attitude, use a rating of 0 for Poor, 1 for Good, and 2 for Excellent. Who should be selected (Problem)
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.(Problem 1)
Problem 1
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem
Problem
Hiring an employee is always a multiattribute decision process. Most jobs possess a diversity of requirements, and most applicants have a diversity of skills to bring to the job. Table matches a set of desired attributes with the capabilities of four job applicants for a job in a pharmaceutical company. Use the tools of this chapter to examine the candidates. (Problem)
Who would be chosen or eliminated using
a. dominance (consider more years of experience preferred to fewer)
b. satisficing
c. disjunctive resolution
d. lexicography with the following priorities: project management skills general attitude years manufacturing experience previous management experience total years experience
Data for Problem

Question 14

The additive weighting model is a decision tool that aggregates information from different independent criteria to arrive at an overall score for each course of action being evaluated. The alternative with the highest score is preferred.
The general form of the model is where
Vj = the score of the ;th alternative;
w i = the weight assigned to the i th decision attribute (1 i n);
x ij = the rating assigned to the i th attribute, which reflects the performance of alternative; relative to maximum attainment of the attribute. Consider Table (p. 573) in view of these definitions and determine the value of each "" shown. (Problem)
Table Data for Problem
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.(Problem 1)
Problem 1
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 15

When traveling, one always has a choice of airlines. However, which should you choose Many attributes are worthy of consideration, some of which are cost, airline miles, number of hops (intermediate stops between departure and final destination), and type of airplane (some people just do not like those small planes). Some people like more hops because each brings them more points in their frequent flyer program. Others want to minimize hops. On a particular trip, you have gathered data about the possible travel alternatives, and they are listed in Table.
Table Data for Problem
Use four noncompensatory methods for dealing with multiple attributes (dominance, satisficing, disjunctive resolution, and lexicography) and determine whether a selection can be made, or alternatives eliminated, with each. You will need to develop additional data that reflect your preferences. (Problem )
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 16

For the data from Problem, apply the additive weighting technique, using weights you develop, to make a travel decision. (Problem)
Problem
When traveling, one always has a choice of airlines. However, which should you choose Many attributes are worthy of consideration, some of which are cost, airline miles, number of hops (intermediate stops between departure and final destination), and type of airplane (some people just do not like those small planes). Some people like more hops because each brings them more points in their frequent flyer program. Others want to minimize hops. On a particular trip, you have gathered data about the possible travel alternatives, and they are listed in Table.
Table Data for Problem
Use four noncompensatory methods for dealing with multiple attributes (dominance, satisficing, disjunctive resolution, and lexicography) and determine whether a selection can be made, or alternatives eliminated, with each. You will need to develop additional data that reflect your preferences. (Problem)
Problem
With reference to the data provided in Table on p. 570, recommend the preferred alternative by using
(a) dominance,
(b) satisficing,
(c) disjunctive resolution, and
(d) lexicography.
Table Data for Problem

Question 17

"Paper or plastic" asks a checkout clerk at your grocery store. According to Time magazine(August 13, 2007, page 50), paper bags cost 5.7 cents each as opposed to 2.2 cents per plastic bag. After leaving the store with several plastic bags, you decide to do some research on paper versus plastic bags. The Time article goes on to inform you that the United States uses 12 million barrels of oil to produce its plastic bags consumed annually. Furthermore, paper bags consumed in the United states equate to 14 million trees a year. What other factors might go into a multiattribute analysis of the pros and cons of paper versus plastic bags (e.g., littering, leak potential, biodegradability, transportation to landfills) Use the additive weighting technique to assess the impact of imposing a 3 cent " finder's fee " for returning plastic bags to an approved recycling center. (Problem)
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.

Question 18

Mary Jones has been enlightened at a recent seminar and now rates hypnosis as her highest choice of anesthesia. The remaining anesthesia methods retain their relative order, just shifted down one. How does this impact the choice of a dentist via the nondimensional scaling technique (Problem)
Problem
You are ready to finally plan your family summer vacation. After what seems like an eternity of long hours at work, you deserve a week of total relaxation. Now, where do you go The mountains The beach Maybe somewhere with a lot of excitement, like Las Vegas Table contains the three alternatives and attribute values for each, some of which are not available in terms of money.
Table Data for Problem
Use the noncompensatory methods to evaluate these alternatives. Can any be eliminated Can any be selected You will have some extra work to do, beyond Table, before you can complete the analysis.