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Analytical Hierarchy Process (analytical + hierarchy_process)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting80%

Selected Abstracts

Decomposing the Value of Agricultural Multifunctionality: Combining Contingent Valuation and the Analytical Hierarchy Process

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2007
Zein Kallas
Q18; Q11; Q25 Abstract Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. Nevertheless, not all these contributions to society are valued in markets, moreover a large share of them are public goods. For this reason, in order to make this concept of multifunctionality operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand of such functions. The objective of this article was to implement an empirical application along these lines. For this purpose, the agricultural system of cereal steppes in Tierra de Campos in Spain is taken as a case study. The economic valuation technique used relies on a combined implementation of contingent valuation and the analytical hierarchy process. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of a significant demand for the different attributes included in the multifunctionality concept, although this demand is heterogeneous and is based on the socioeconomic characteristics of individual persons. [source]

Design and synthesis of separation process based on a hybrid method

ASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING, Issue 6 2009
Chunshan Li
Abstract A new general hybrid methodology for separation process synthesis and design is proposed, which considers different separation technologies by integrating mathematical modeling,Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with heuristic approaches and thermodynamic insights. The methodology can provide suitable guidance for the initial separation process design and energy saving. Firstly, a general separation synthesis system based on thermodynamic insights is developed to select suitable separation techniques before sequencing, which reduces the complexity and size of synthesis search space. Then, the pseudo-component concept is proposed and used to deal with the azeotrope contained in the mixture, which widens the scope of the application of the proposed methodology. The AHP method is used to make a separation sequence by pairwise comparison matrices. Lastly, the separation of the pseudo-component will be considered, and it performs energy integration and a detailed process design. Application of the proposed methodology is highlighted through two industrial examples: one is the separation synthesis of a light-end refinery mixture. The other is azeotrope system, the mixture of phenol, o -cresol, p -cresol, and m -cresol. Copyright © 2009 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

Farmers' objectives as determinants of organic farming adoption: the case of Catalonian vineyard production

AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 5 2010
Zein Kallas
Organic farming adoption; Duration analysis; Analytical hierarchy process; Farmers' objectives Abstract This article assesses the decision to adopt organic farming practices. We use Duration Analysis (DA) to determine why farmers adopt organic farming practices and what influences the timing of adoption. We extend previous studies by including farmers' objectives, risk preferences, and agricultural policies as covariates in the DA model. The Analytical Hierarchy Process is used as a multicriteria decision-making methodology to measure farmers' objectives. The empirical analysis uses farm-level data from a sample of vineyard farms in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Farmers' objectives are found to influence the conversion decision. Moreover, farmers who are not risk averse are more likely to adopt organic farming. Results point to the policy changes that have been most relevant in motivating adoption of organic practices. [source]

Decomposing the Value of Agricultural Multifunctionality: Combining Contingent Valuation and the Analytical Hierarchy Process

JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2007
Zein Kallas
Q18; Q11; Q25 Abstract Agricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. Nevertheless, not all these contributions to society are valued in markets, moreover a large share of them are public goods. For this reason, in order to make this concept of multifunctionality operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand of such functions. The objective of this article was to implement an empirical application along these lines. For this purpose, the agricultural system of cereal steppes in Tierra de Campos in Spain is taken as a case study. The economic valuation technique used relies on a combined implementation of contingent valuation and the analytical hierarchy process. The results obtained demonstrate the existence of a significant demand for the different attributes included in the multifunctionality concept, although this demand is heterogeneous and is based on the socioeconomic characteristics of individual persons. [source]

The institutional environment in the strategic decision of the emerging companies: the case of the Algerian sugar industry

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2009
Mohamed Akli Achabou
Abstract During these last years, Algeria, like some other developing countries, is undergoing important institutional changes. The structural adjustment plan (1990s) and the association agreement signed with the European Union (2005) are some of the political tools that guide these profound changes that have considerable impacts on the strategic behaviour of local enterprises. Beyond these mutations at national level, important policy changes are observed at the international level, like the recent reform of the European sugar policy that constitutes a considerable shifter on the behaviour of enterprises operating in the Algerian sugar refining industry. The present research aims to measure the weight of the institutional criteria on the strategic decision of sugar refining companies in Algeria, by the combination of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis and the analytical hierarchy process. The ultimate purpose is to contribute to the analysis of interactions that exist between institutional changes induced by the globalization process and the strategic choices of local enterprises in an emergent economy. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]