Functional dependency-based group decision-making with incomplete information under social media influence: An application to automobile

In today’s complex decision-making environment, accounting for attribute interdependencies and expert relationships is crucial. Traditional models often assume attribute independence and overlook the significant impact of expert relationships on decision outcomes. Also, amidst the dynamic and ever-changing decision-making landscape, the effect of news and real-time updates on alternative rankings is significant. In complex decision-making environments, information is constantly evolving, and staying up-to-date with the latest developments is paramount. To overcome these limitations, this study aims to develop a novel model that effectively captures attribute dependencies and incorporates the influence of social media on alternative ordering. To establish the model, the Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method and regression analysis are integrated to capture attribute dependencies. Furthermore, social network analysis (SNA) is employed to develop a trust propagation model for determining experts’ weights. Additionally, we present a two-stage multi-skilled and high potential multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework, where the base-criterion method (BCM) is adopted to evaluate attribute weights and the well-known traditional Vlekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR) method is redefined using Heronian mean (HM) operator to capture the relationships between arguments. Despite uncertainties, the proposed fuzzy-BCM-VIKOR-Heronian (F-BCM-VIKOR-H) approach enhances flexibility by addressing inconsistent data in complex decision-making problems. Similarly, certain news or future updates about any alternative or attribute can significantly affect the ranking. Acknowledging the significance of timely information, the proposed approach actively considers the effect of such news through the formation of an updated matrix. By factoring in the latest developments, we ensure that the proposed decision-making model remains relevant and adaptable, capturing the most current insights into alternative performance. To demonstrate the model’s effectiveness, we apply the proposed approach to a numerical illustration in the electronics industry, specifically for ranking cars. Sensitivity analysis evaluates the model’s stability, and comparing the results with existing approaches showcases its advantage and superiority.