Pythagorean linguistic information-based green supplier selection using quantum-based group decision-making methodology and the MULTIMOORA approach

Abstract

The selection of environmentally sustainable suppliers has been a significant challenge in management decision-making (DM). Multicriteria group decision-making (MCGDM) is a ranking methodology used to select suppliers, but it is complex and influenced by the different opinions of decision-makers. Once again, extensive research on MCGDM has exposed inadequacies in the trustworthiness of experts’ judgements, which profoundly impact the ultimate ranking results. The Pythagorean linguistic number (PLN) concept has been used to address MCGDM by considering experts’ confidence levels and real-world scenarios. This study introduces an extensive technique using a quantum scenario-based Bayesian network (QSBN) and Deng entropy-based belief entropy to account for the interference of beliefs. The goal is to replicate the subjectivity of experts’ opinions during different stages of DM, including the accumulation of experts’ weights and alternative probabilities. The correlation coefficient of PLNs is introduced for determining criterion weights and employing new techniques based on entropy methods for experts’ weights. The MULTIMOORA approach consolidates the probability of alternatives in QSBN among all experts, and the interference value is computed using belief entropy, an index for quantifying the probability of uncertainty. The study provides a numerical example to illustrate the proposed methodology, specifically focusing on selecting environmentally sustainable suppliers, and demonstrates its applicability and effectiveness.