ARS | Publication request: A SPEADSHEET HIERARCHICAL MULTI-ATTRIBUTE DECISION SYSTEM WITH APPLICATE TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING 1224

Submitted to: Multiple Objective Decision Support Systems for Land, Water, and Environment
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: March 6, 1998
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: An algorithm and spreadsheet implementation for computing the value range of an additive value function under a hierarchy of the attributes will be presented. The method can be used to rank alternatives and requires only ordinal ranking of the attributes within and not across sub-groupings. Characteristics of the method make it ideal for use in situations of conflict and environmental decision making. The linear programming-based method has been implemented as a Visual Basic module in Microsoft's Excel s scenarios. The algorithm for computing the range of the additive value function is iterative in nature and preserves extreme point information at each level in the hierarchy. The effects of modifications to relative importance of the attributes are easily examined. Multiple alternative hierarchy structures can be compared simultaneously. Multiple states of nature are also easily handled. Applications in environmental decision making particularly rangeland health and conflict resolution will be presented and reveal that the tool could be useful in determining whether negotiation is feasible and desirable.