Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Logic and Their Applications 2020

The present book contains the 24 total articles accepted and published in the Special Issue “Fuzzy Sets, Fuzzy Logic and Their Applications, 2020” of the MDPI Mathematics journal, which covers a wide range of topics connected to the theory and applications of fuzzy sets and systems of fuzzy logic and their extensions/generalizations. These topics include, among others, elements from fuzzy graphs; fuzzy numbers; fuzzy equations; fuzzy linear spaces; intuitionistic fuzzy sets; soft sets; type-2 fuzzy sets, bipolar fuzzy sets, plithogenic sets, fuzzy decision making, fuzzy governance, fuzzy models in mathematics of finance, a philosophical treatise on the connection of the scientific reasoning with fuzzy logic, etc. It is hoped that the book will be interesting and useful for those working in the area of fuzzy sets, fuzzy systems and fuzzy logic, as well as for those with the proper mathematical background and willing to become familiar with recent advances in fuzzy mathematics, which has become prevalent in almost all sectors of the human life and activity

Fuzzy Logic and Corporate Governance Theories

[Excerpt] “Fuzzy logic is a theory that categorizes concepts or things belonging to more than one group. A methodology that explains how things function in multiple groups (not fully in one group or another) offers advantages when no one definition or membership in a group accounts for belonging to multiple groups. The principal/agent model of corporate governance has some characteristics of fuzzy logic theory. Under traditional agency theory of corporate governance, shareholders, directors, and senior corporate officers each belong to groups having multiple attributes. In the principal/agent model of corporate governance, shareholders are owners or principals; directors are shareholders and agents of the corporation; and senior corporate officers are directors’ agents, shareholders’ agents, and agents of the corporation. Each one functions within multiple groups serving multiple agency roles, and each owes fiduciary duties that vary depending on whose agent they are functioning as. Such a multi-dimensional role for corporate actors is a consequence of multi-definitional corporate purpose within agency theory of governance. This multi-dimensional group membership is not easily reconciled within agency theory and is therefore not always explained. However, traditional corporate governance theory can borrow another basic tenet of fuzzy logic theory. Fuzzy theory not only accounts for membership in multiple groups, but also explains how things work because they are multidimensional or ambiguous. This article seeks to explain the ambiguities of corporate governance theory and suggests a framework that accounts for the multi-agent role of senior corporate officers of public companies. It offers a kind of fuzzy logic theory for understanding the fiduciary duties of senior officers. The purpose of this article is to evaluate other models of corporate governance that account for the multi-agent role of senior officers of public companies and assess the ability of various models to hold senior officers accountable to the corporation.

Digitizing grey portions of e-governance

Purpose: The purpose of this research paper is to assess e-governance efficacy in various sectors of India. The paper develops on Grey System Theory (GST) methodology and enlightens grey portions of e-governance in select sectors. Research study identifies few grey criteria which affect implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) applications to support sustainable e-governance. Such criteria are related to information security breaches, information technology (IT) policy implementation, investments and strategic advantages for the various sector developments. Design/methodology/approach: Considering “information” as a sensitive element to security for administration and part of dark portion to Indian economy, GST-based COmplex PRroportional ASsessment (COPRAS-G) method is adopted to assess the e-governance efficacy. The method provides flexible multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) approach to assess e-governance in prioritizing the sector alternatives of future strategic development. Priority order of select sectors is estimated, and COPRAS-G method is used in the research study to support decision-making on e-governance. Study compares ten major gross domestic product-dependent sectors based on few grey criteria. These criteria are chosen based on authors’ perspective on this study and feedback received from government officials of district levels under the Digital India-training programme. To address the subjectivity that lies in e-governance grey areas of sector, criteria are also weighted using fuzzy scale. Later methodology-based results are presented to draw a strategic road map for strategic development of the country. Findings: On applying COPRAS-G method to predict pessimistic, optimistic and realistic scenarios of e-governance implementation across the ten sectors, high priory order in realistic scenario of results shows that implementation of ICT applications for e-governance should be in the sectors such as environment, climate change and in the railways. Industrial sector is also ranked as the preferred one over the other sectors on the basis of e-governance efficacy assessment. Research limitations/implications: Here COPRAS-G method is used as MCDM techniques. However, few other MCDM techniques such as GRA, DRSA, VIKOR, SMAA, SWARA and SAW can be also explored to outrank various Indian sectors to deal with subjectivity in decision-making. Practical implications: Implementation of ICT applications to support e-governance varies from sector to sector. ICT-based governance involves high degree of complexity in driving the operations for development of respective sectors. Therefore, government and policymakers need more flexibility to overcome present barriers of sector development. Such research can support decision-making where GST-based COPRAS-G method is able to capture and address the breaches of information security. Moreover, management concern for sector development has been presented on the basis of pessimistic, optimistic and realistic scenarios more precisely. Social implications: The results can provide guidance to the academicians, policymakers and public sectors highlighting various possible measures to handle the security breaches in multi-facet intention of sustainable development. The outcomes from MCDM framework can also help in drawing a rough trajectory of strategy, i.e. development of ICTs applications and e-governance process. Originality/value: This paper can supplement and act as the support for decision-making in conflicting situations on different flexible scenarios. Moreover, such work can synergize conflicting ideas of decision makers, academics and various other stakeholders of the Indian IT sector

Basic Problems on Organizational Complexity

Organizational phenomena are very complex. As one observes them. They seem to be composed of human activities on many different levels of analysis. Decision making, organizational behaviors, human relations, group dynamics, socio-psychology, corporate governance, business ethics, operations research, cooperative systems, public / private administrations, ambiguity and fuzzy management processes seem to exist in extremely complex multidimensional patterns. The complexity seems at times almost beyond comprehension. Yet it is the complexity that is, on the one hand, the basis for understanding organizational phenomena for theorists and, on the other, what makes it difficult for practitioners. Hence, the integration of multidimensional patterns of complexity, requires inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches to analyze organizational phenomena. This article presents the following topics: 1) organizations as complex systems, 2) the discrepancy between theory and phenomena on organizational complexity, in relation to the standpoint for analyzing organizational phenomena, 3) the institution as a public organ based social responsibility, 4) conflicts between decision-making and business ethics in relation to social conventions, 5) individual behavior in dependent on organizations within information society

A robust fuzzy possibilistic AHP approach for partner selection in international strategic alliance

The international strategic alliance is an inevitable solution for making competitive advantage and reducing the risk in today’s business environment. Partner selection is an important part in success of partnerships, and meanwhile it is a complicated decision because of various dimensions of the problem and inherent conflicts of stockholders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a practical approach to the problem of partner selection in international strategic alliances, which fulfills the gap between theories of inter-organizational relationships and quantitative models. Thus, a novel Robust Fuzzy Possibilistic AHP approach is proposed for combining the benefits of two complementary theories of inter-organizational relationships named, (1) Resource-based view, and (2) Transaction-cost theory and considering Fit theory as the perquisite of alliance success. The Robust Fuzzy Possibilistic AHP approach is a noveldevelopment of Interval-AHP technique employing robust formulation; aimed at handling the ambiguity of the problem and let the use of intervals as pairwise judgments. The proposed approach was compared with existing approaches, and the results show that it provides the best quality solutions in terms of minimum error degree. Moreover, the framework implemented in a case study and its applicability were discussed

CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIC ALLIANCES IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

This paper focuses on strategic fuzzy alliances (SFAs) and the role of trust in business-to-business relationships. First, a theoretical model of governance choice involving strategic alliances is developed, integrating the Shapiro, Sheppard, and Cheraskin (1992) taxonomy of trust into a neoinstitutional framework. Second, this model, based on transaction theory, is then used to generate necessary and sufficient conditions for trust-based agreements. The third component of this paper is an empirical model, which tests the above theory. Finally, managerial implications from the results are discussed.Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Institutional complementarities and gender diversity on boards: a configurational approach

Manuscript Type: Empirical Research Question/Issue: To address the lack of a complementarities-based approach in studies of board diversity, this paper seeks to understandwhether and howcertain country-level factors are causally and jointly related towomen on boards and the nature of their complementarities (are they synergic or substitutes?). Moreover, we intend to learn more about the adoption/diffusion of board gender quotas, by taking into account their role in the existing national configurations (whether they are necessary and/or sufficient conditions). Research Findings/Insights: Using fs/QCA, our findings reveal a particular configuration of country-level conditions that supports the existence of a joint causal relation between given institutional arrangements. Furthermore, we find that board gender quota legislation is not a sufficient condition on its own to achieve a higher number of women on boards. Such evidence suggests that its diffusion across countries could be the result of institutional isomorphismor social legitimacy more than to rational reasons. Theoretical/Academic Implications: For scholars, our paper refines and expands insights from the extant comparative corporate governance literature. By finding support for the “bundled” or jointly causal nature of given institutional factors,we open a window for further research that investigates board-level phenomena in a complementarities-based perspective. Practitioner/Policy Implications: For policymakers, this study provides some insights that could better drive their choice about which mix of policies is necessary to improve female representation on boards, and especially in which institutional areas they should be implemented. It is particularly relevant, because once gender quotas are endorsed at board level, they could have ambiguous effects on firm performance and corporate governance

From governance to meta-governance in tourism?: Re-incorporating politics,interests and values in the analysis of tourism governance

Despite its theorization in the political and policy sciences in the early 1990s, the concept of metagovernance has gained relatively little recognition in tourism studies. Nevertheless, its significance in the political sciences and policy literature, especially as a result of the perceived failure of governance systems following the recent global financial crisis, has only served to reinforce its relevance. Metagovernance addresses some of the perceived failures of traditional governance approaches and associated interventions, and has enabled the understanding of central-state led regimes of shadowed hierarchical authorities and local-level micro-practices of social innovation and self-government. In contrast, tourism studies have tended to restrict study of the political dimension of tourism governance and the role of the state under the traditional parallelism between government and governance. Examination of how governance is itself governed enables a better understanding of the practices of planning and policy making affecting tourism and destinations. In particular, the applications of concepts of governance are inextricably linked to a given set of value assumptions which predetermine the range of its application. A short example of the application of the metagovernance paradigm is provided from the New Zealand context. It is concluded that governance mechanisms are not value-neutral and instead serve to highlight the allocation of power in a destination and the dominance of particular values and interests

Mapping knowledge management and organizational learning in support of organizational memory

The normative literature within the field of Knowledge Management has concentrated on techniques and methodologies for allowing knowledge to be codified and made available to individuals and groups within organizations. The literature on Organizational Learning however, has tended to focus on aspects of knowledge that are pertinent at the macro-organizational level (i.e. the overall business). The authors attempt in this paper to address a relative void in the literature, aiming to demonstrate the inter-locking factors within an enterprise information system that relate knowledge management and organizational learning, via a model that highlights key factors within such an inter-relationship. This is achieved by extrapolating data from a manufacturing organization using a case study, with these data then modeled using a cognitive mapping technique (Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping, FCM). The empirical enquiry explores an interpretivist view of knowledge, within an Information Systems Evaluation (ISE) process, through the associated classification of structural, interpretive and evaluative knowledge. This is achieved by visualizng inter-relationships within the ISE decision-making approach in the case organization. A number of decision paths within the cognitive map are then identified such that a greater understanding of ISE can be sought. The authors therefore present a model that defines a relationship between Knowledge Management (KM) and Organisational Learning (OL), and highlights factors that can lead a firm to develop itself towards a learning organization

Quo Vadis, Slovenia? Between Framework Conditions and Internal Capabilities

We consider the new EU member states as semi-peripheral countries standing at the development crossroads. We emphasize the sociocultural factors of development, present a model for bringing together several cultural and social influences, and test its validity by applying a fuzzy-set methodology, a rather novel approach in social sciences. We augment our analysis of internal socio-cultural factors by considering the likely changes in the external framework conditions. Focusing on demography, technology, and global economic and political structures, we outline possible scenarios for European development that will certainly affect the chances of individual countries. As our contribution, we discuss the interplay between such framework conditions and internal development capabilities and draw some implication for the case of Slovenia.development, socio-cultural factors of development, long-run scenarios