Many fuzzy concepts have been researched and described with uncertain information. Collecting data under uncertain information is a difficult task, especially when there is a difference between the opinions of experts. To deal with such situations, different types of operators have been introduced. This paper aims to develop the Maclaurin symmetric mean (MSM) operator for the information in the shape of the interval-valued spherical fuzzy set (IVSFS). In this article, a family of aggregation operators (AOs) is proposed which consists of interval valued spherical fuzzy Maclaurin symmetric mean operator (IVSFMSM), interval valued spherical fuzzy weighted Maclaurin symmetric mean (IVSFWMSM), interval valued spherical fuzzy dual Maclaurin symmetric mean (IVSFDMSM), and interval valued spherical fuzzy dual weighted Maclaurin symmetric mean (IVSFDWMSM) operators. In this paper, we studied an elucidative example to discuss the evaluation of multi-national companies for the application of the proposed operator. Then the obtained results from the proposed operators are compared. The results obtained are graphed and tabulated for a better understanding.

The research objectives presented in this paper are to assess the current state of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s rural tourism offer and to recommend a course of action for its development based on the model’s data that was gathered from subject-matter experts. In this paper, the multicriteria analysis method DEX (Decision EXpert) was utilized to assess the capacity of rural tourism in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) and to obtain the results. All establishments were rated “very good”, seeing that they made use of the natural beauty that BIH has to offer. The outcomes of using this model were used to generate suggestions for the long-term development of rural tourism in BIH. The contribution of the employed model is in the developed starting points for the advancements of rural tourism in BIH, and the proposed model presents a novel method for evaluating a nation’s tourism potential that could be used in future studies in other tourism-related fields as well. The limitations of this paper stem from the fact that not all tourist establishments were considered due to the lack of unified records for all of these establishments. The model used in this research, on the other hand, is applicable to all tourist capacities, which is an advantage.

Abstract Innovation is crucial for the competitiveness of countries in the global market. Countries oriented to progress must invest in innovative activities. Using the example of the Western Balkan countries, this study investigated their innovative competitiveness. The indicators of the Global Innovation Index (GII) were used for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. A multi-criteria approach was based on the innovative SMART approach. The weights of the criteria were determined using the CRITIC (criteria importance through intercriteria correlation) method, while the CRADIS (compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution) method ranked the Western Balkan countries according to their innovative characteristics. The results showed that Montenegro had the best innovation indicators, followed by Serbia, while Albania had the worst indicators. This research showed an innovative approach of using four normalizations, and the advantages of these normalizations were used to contribute to stabilization in multi-criteria decision-making.

Traditional fuel-powered vehicle emissions have long been recognized as a major barrier to a sustainable environment, and their minimization could ensure both economic support for the sustainable societal fundament and pollution prevention. Electrifying light-duty vehicle fleets, such as taxis, could provide a financial return as well as bring significant economic and environmental improvements. This paper offers a ranked selection of electric vehicles that are presently available on the market, as reviewed by taxi service representatives, as well as their own evaluation of the criteria that influence this selection. This paper provides stability and support when making decisions by deploying stepwise weight assessment ratio analysis and a modified standard deviation method for calculating the subjective and objective weights of the criteria, as well as performing sensitivity analysis to determine how a particular criterion affects the multi-attributive border approximation area. A comparison ranking of the alternatives discovered how a change in the weight value of one of the criteria affected the ranking of the electric vehicle alternatives. According to the research, led by the battery capacity criterion and its values, the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro has the best results and is the taxi of choice in the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, the research has demonstrated that the development of electric vehicles for taxi service purposes should strive to extend the range of these vehicles while reducing the battery charging time.

The process of improving tourism requires prior determination of the existing offer, as well as assessment of the advantages and weaknesses of the given offer. Upon the analysis, it is possible to improve the tourist offer. This study examined ways in which agro-tourism can be improved, related to the foundation of sustainability. Methodologically, this article involves the use of expert assessment, additionally supported with fuzzy logic based on the fuzzy PIPRECIA and fuzzy MARCOS methods. Using the fuzzy PIPRECIA method, the criteria and sub-criteria were weighted, while the observed agro-tourism facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) were ranked according to the applied fuzzy MARCOS method. The results of the application of the fuzzy PIPRECIA method showed that for experts the most important are economic criteria, then environmental, and the latter important are social criteria. The most important sub-criterion is the quality of services. Out of the six facilities in question, the most appropriate results are achieved at the “Šadrvan” rural household, while the worst outcome is exhibited at the agro-tourism facility, (rural household) “Kovačević.” Sensitivity analysis confirmed these results. The aim of this article was to evaluate the agritourism offer in BiH, taking into consideration these six agritourism facilities. Based on that, it is necessary to determine on what advantages to build agritourism in BiH, and what should be corrected in order to be more competitive. Based on the obtained results, the facilities management should determine which sustainability criteria would need to be improved, as well as on which criteria it is desirable to build a competitive advantage, aiming to advance the tourist offer.

The way agri-food companies conduct business has changed as a result of changes in the market. These companies must start working in a more environmentally friendly manner. This study aims to examine, assess, and compare how various fuzzy methodologies are applied in green supplier selection (GSS), using an agri-food industry as an example. The company Biljana Brko, which engages in GSS, was observed in this study. The selection aids in the acquisition of raw materials and materials whose environmental impact will be minimized. Ecological and economic factors were taken into consideration when choosing green suppliers. Experts who assessed the weight of the criteria and the suppliers with linguistic values were chosen to carry out this selection. In order to do this, a fuzzy set that effectively applies these linguistic values was employed. The fuzzy SWARA (FSWARA) approach was utilized to calculate the weights of the criteria, revealing that the criterion of Environmental Management System has the highest weight. Drawing on the opinions of experts, suppliers were ranked using the fuzzy MABAC, MARCOS, and CRADIS techniques. The results show that supplier S2 receives the highest ratings. Along with this provider, supplier S3 is noteworthy because it excelled in the sensitivity analysis across a variety of scenarios. In light of this, Biljana Brko should give preference to these suppliers. Further, the results of the three adopted techniques were compared. The comparison reveals that the ranking order produced by all three techniques is remarkably similar. This supplier order differed slightly from the FMABAC method just in one scenario. Hence, this work demonstrates that the three fuzzy techniques can solve the GSS problem and other problems by ranking alternatives.

The goal of this research was to find a selection of green suppliers (GSS) that will, in the best way, help agricultural producers to apply green agricultural production using uncertainty in decision making. In order to avoid the possibility of uncertainty in the expert decision making, Z-numbers were used together with the fuzzy LMAW (Logarithm Methodology of Additive Weights) method and fuzzy CRADIS (Compromise Ranking of Alternatives from Distance to Ideal Solution) method. By applying Z-numbers and the fuzzy LMAW method, the weighting coefficients of the criteria were determined, where the experts, in addition to the criteria ratings, also defined the degrees of certainty in the criteria ratings they gave. The obtained results indicated that the criteria related to price and qualities are the most important during the selection process. To select the best alternative, the CRADIS method modified with Z-numbers and fuzzy numbers was applied. The results obtained by applying this method showed that suppliers A2 and A3 have the best characteristics and are the first choice for the procurement of raw and production materials. As part of the paper, the validation of the results and the sensitivity analysis of the model were carried out by conducting the procedure of comparing the obtained results with the results obtained by other MCDM methods and changing the weighting coefficients of the criteria. These analyses indicated that the model presented provides stable results. The conducted research showed how Z-numbers can be used to reduce uncertainty in decision making and how Z-numbers can be used with other fuzzy methods to perform GSS.

This study considers the problem of selecting an anti-tank missile system (ATMS). The mentioned problem is solved by applying a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model (MCDM) based on two methods: the DIBR (Defining Interrelationships Between Ranked criteria) and the MABAC (Multi-Attributive Border Approximation area Comparison) methods. The methods are modified by applying rough numbers, which present a very suitable area for considering uncertainty following decision-making processes. The DIBR method is a young method with a simple mathematical apparatus which is based on defining the relation between ranked criteria, that is, adjacent criteria, reducing the number of comparisons. This method defines weight coefficients of criteria, based on the opinion of experts. The MABAC method is used to select the best alternative from the set of the offered ones, based on the distance of the criteria function of every observed alternative from the border approximate area. The paper has two main innovations. With the presented decision-making support model, the ATMS selection problem is raised to a higher level, which is based on a proven mathematical apparatus. In terms of methodology, the main innovation is successful application of the rough DIBR method, which has not been treated in this way in the literature so far. Additionally, an analysis of the literature related to the research problem as well as to the methods used is carried out. After the application of the model, the sensitivity analysis of the output results of the presented model to the change of the weight coefficients of criteria is performed, as well as the comparison of the results of the presented model with other methods. Finally, the proposed model is concluded to be stable and multi-criteria decision-making methods can be a reliable tool to help decision makers in the selection process. The presented model has the potential of being applied in other case studies as it has proven to be a good means for considering uncertainty.

To achieve the highest possible agricultural production, it is necessary to procure the appropriate agricultural machinery. A tractor is the most useful machine in agriculture that performs various functions. Therefore, the selection of a tractor is one of the key decisions in the agriculture-production process. This study aims to evaluate heavy tractors for agricultural production in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since this is a selection between different tractors, which are evaluated using several criteria, the methods of multi-criteria analysis (MCDA) were used in this study. Five different methods were used to determine the weight of the criteria, of which a modified standard-deviation method is a new method used in practice, while the tractor ranking was performed using the CRADIS (compromise ranking of alternatives from distance to ideal solution) method. The results showed that the best-ranked tractor is A4, while the most deviations from the ranking occur when the entropy method is used. The contribution of this study is in the systematization of the methods for the objective determination of the criteria weights and the development of new methods to facilitate decision-making in agriculture and other industries.

The paper aimed to examine if the mechanical characteristics (tensile strength, elongation, and friction) of the selected flexible packaging materials (BOPP and PET/PE) change after the packaging process. Some researchers have shown that mechanical characteristics can change because of the various effects to which foils are exposed (temperature, transport devices, solvents, etc.). The measurement of tensile strength and elongation was carried out according to SRPS G.S2.734, and the measurement of friction according to ASTM D 1894. The results show that there were no significant changes in the examined mechanical characteristics that could affect the functionality of the packaging.