The Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) is a widely used technique for analyzing conflicts involving two or more decision makers (DMs), where each of them has a set of actions to be taken (the options) and different perceptions (the preferences) about the possible outcomes of the dispute (the states). In fact, preference information is essential for applying GMCR and its absence precludes the use of formal conflict analysis methods. This paper proposes a multi-criteria extension of the option prioritization technique for preference elicitation within the GMCR framework. In the standard approach, each DM is required to provide a complete ranking of preference statements expressed as Boolean combinations of conflict options. The proposed method relaxes this requirement by allowing indifference among preference statements. To illustrate the approach, it is applied to an Information Technology (IT) outsourcing conflict involving two DMs: the service provider and the client organization. The results highlight two main advantages: (i) the method supports DMs in formulating preference statements based on explicit criteria; and (ii) it produces more structured preference rankings.

This paper proposes a procedure to elicit lower and upper probabilistic preferences within the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution (GMCR) through a multicriteria perspective. This imprecise probability approach is especially recommended in situations where there is not enough information regarding how DMs evaluate or compare the feasible conflict states. Within this proposal, the elicitation process is carried out through three questions in which decision makers are asked to evaluate the performance of each viable state in each criterion. Uncertainty in this performance generates lower and higher probabilistic preferences among states. To illustrate the applicability of the new elicitation procedure, we present a real-world example from a construction project in Brazil.

Many organizations have implemented the world class manufacturing (WCM) system, a management method focused on attacking the largest losses and wastes in a manufacturing environment to achieve excellence in manufacturing processes. However, to apply the program successfully, it is necessary to align the goals that the company wishes to achieve with the way the system is developed. For this reason, this study proposes the use of the value-focused thinking (VFT) problem structuring method with the FITradeoff method to provide greater coherence and efficiency throughout the WCM project selection process. As a result, the structuring of the company's objectives and the problem situation were carried out through the decision maker (DM), and a project with a greater urgency for execution was selected, helping the company to use the WCM program more successfully.

This paper presents an application using NomClass (a new multicriteria nominal classification method based on PROMETHEE) to define safety policies in Brazilian states regarding two dimensions: property crimes and violent crimes against people. The application includes 11 of the 26 states of Brazil and 9 criteria. Results show that applying the classification method to the public safety context is useful because it provides a quantitative systematic way to classify Brazilian states regarding violence parameters and then to apply the most suitable public safety policies guided by this classification.

This paper presents a multicriteria nominal classification method derived from the concepts of PROMETHEE, which is then applied to problems characterized by minimum performance profiles (MMP) to determine categories. In order to illustrate the applicability of the proposal, this method is applied to classify relational attitudes in the context of IT outsourcing regarding an IT service contractor company. The application included ten companies of the civil construction sector in Espirito Santo, Brazil.

Outsourcing services have been one of the strategic measures adopted with regard to directing the focus of a company to its core business. However, companies which try to adopt Information Technology outsourcing have been faced with several threats. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to show the applicability of an existing risk management model to deal with uncertainties in outsourcing services. The main idea is to combine Failure Modes and Effect Analysis (FMEA) with Fuzzy Logic to detect which of the different dimensions considered is more likely to fail. To show the applicability of the model, a hypothetical example was conducted with the knowledge of an expert. The result of the model is important as this will assist managers in preventing potential failures.

Knowledge of the strategic role of technology and information systems in organizations is of critical importance for future investments in this area. Therefore, several authors have proposed models that enable the role of information systems in organizational processes to be analyzed strategically. Given the lack of a formal model for sorting organizations with respect to the strategic positioning of information systems, this paper puts forward a multicriteria model for categorizing organizations from the categories defined by the proposed IS Strategic Impact Grid.