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Most multicriteria methods focus on ranking and selecting from a set of alternatives. These methods are usually used to compare all alternatives based on the synthesized scorings within a normalized scale with respect to the same criteria in multicriteria problems. However, the decision makers often simultaneously manage one or several alternatives/projects with conflicting and noncommensurable criteria to reduce the gaps to achieve the aspired grade in practice. They then need to rank the gaps that have not been reduced or improved (the unimproved gaps) for the alternatives/projects or aspects of a project to get the most benefit. Because these compared alternatives/projects do not usually have the same criteria/aspects, traditional methods are unsuitable to deal with them. Thus, this research proposes a new VIKOR method to solve this problem; this new method allows the decision maker to understand these gaps of the projects/aspects and rank them to improve these large gaps in control items to achieve the aspired level. Its concept originates in compromise solutions, in particular the VIKOR method. In addition, this research also provides an example of improving information security risk to demonstrate the suitability of this new method. The results show the effectiveness of the new method.

A company's core competitiveness depends on the strategic allocation of its human resources in alignment with employee capabilities. Competency models can identify the range of capabilities at a company's disposal, and this information can be used to develop internal or external education training policies for sustainable development. Such models can ensure the importation of a strategic orientation reflecting the growth of its employee competence set and enhancing human resource sustainably. This approach ensures that the most appropriate people are assigned to the most appropriate positions. In this study, we proposed a new hybrid multiple attributed decision-making model by using the Decision-making trial and Evaluation Laboratory Technique (DEMATEL) to construct an influential network relation map (INRM) and determined the influential weights by using the basic concept of the analytic network process (called DEMATEL-based ANP, DANP); the influential weights were then adopted with a modified Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method. A simple forecasting technique as an iteration function was also proposed. The proposed model was effective. We expect that the proposed model can facilitate making timely revisions, reflecting the growth of employee competence sets, reducing the performance gap toward the aspiration level, and ensuring the sustainability of a company.

Abstract. This study proposes a new hybrid MADM model that can explore the best strategy plan according to the environmental attributes that influence digital convergence, with the additional consideration of societal and individual needs for improving the digital convergence toward satisficing users' needs. The proposed hybrid MADM model employs the DEMATEL method to construct an influential network relationship map (INRM), and find the influential weights of DANP (DEMATEL-based ANP). Next, a modified VIKOR method is employed to assess the weighting of identified attributes to integrate the performance gap for each criterion into dimensions and the overall. Finally, this paper presents Taiwan as an empirical case to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model in practically improving laws and regulations to plan for digital convergence. The contributions of our proposed model can be summarized as follows: (1) The INRM can be used to assist government bodies in understanding the influence and relationships of digital convergence development; (2) The modified VIKOR can be employed to reduce performance-gap towards achieving the aspiration level; (3) The model can help decision-makers to avoid choosing the optimal inferior alternative for reaching a certain aspiration level through continuous improvement.Keywords: digital convergence development, multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM), DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory), influential network relation map (INRM), DEMATEL-based analytic network process (DANP), modified VIKOR (VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje). JEL Classification: C18,

With the increasing popularity of online shopping services, e-stores are experiencing ever more fierce competition. Thus, it is imperative that managers take steps to improve their services and ensure customer loyalty, and this can only be done by understanding their customers' needs and developing appropriate marketing strategies. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to propose a new hybrid gray relational model to enhance strategies by adopting innovation and creativity to achieve the aspiration level in each dimension/criterion of satisfying/promoting human life and convenient service. This new hybrid gray relational model, which can improve the performance of each criteria to close the aspiration level of each reference point, will address interdependent problems among dimensions/criteria in the real world and provide feedback. More specifically, a DANP (DEMATEL-based ANP) and a gray relational assessment model will be combined to produce an influential network relationship map (INRM), showing the influential weights and gaps between the actual performance and the level of aspiration. As such, the contribution made by this research will be to produce the best strategies for e-store managers to improve their business model in order to meet customers' needs, encourage them to repurchase, and to enable stores to provide the most effective and efficient service for their customers.

Road transport accounts for 72.06% of total transport CO2, which is considered a cause of climate change. At present, the use of alternative fuels has become a pressing issue and a significant number of automakers and scholars have devoted themselves to the study and subsequent development of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The evaluation of AFVs should consider not only air pollution reduction and fuel efficiency but also AFV sustainability. In general, the field of sustainable development is subdivided into three areas: economic, environmental, and social. On the basis of the sustainable development perspective, this study presents an evaluation framework for AFVs by using the DEMATEL-based analytical network process. The results reveal that the five most important criteria are price, added value, user acceptance, reduction of hazardous substances, and dematerialization. Price is the most important criterion because it can improve the popularity of AFVs and affect other criteria, including user acceptance. Additional, the energy usage criterion is expected to significantly affect the sustainable development of AFVs. These results should be seriously considered by automakers and governments in developing AFVs. OPEN ACCESSSustainability 2015, 7

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