Skip to main content

An Operations Research-Based Morphological Analysis to Support Environmental Management Decision-Making

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Decision Support Systems VI - Addressing Sustainability and Societal Challenges (ICDSST 2016)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing ((LNBIP,volume 250))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 787 Accesses

Abstract

In this paper the authors present a meta-model aiming to support decision-makers that wish to know more about how to use systems models to cope with the integration of environmental concerns into the company strategy. This is made by using a General Morphological Analysis (GMA) to bridge the gap between Operations Research (OR) analysts, decision-makers and stakeholders, making all of them part of the problem structuring and formulation process, particularly in societal issues like the environmental ones. The novelty of this approach is two-fold: (i) there are no examples in literature of a GMA research that address a linkage between environmental practices, strategic objectives, and the integration of stakeholders in the decision-making process at the level of a company; (ii) there is no GMA that had covered all the phases of a decision-making problem (problem definition, problem analysis and problem solving) in such a context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Álvarez, A., Ritchey, T.: Applications of general morphological analysis. Acta Morph. Gen. 4(1) (2015)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Jakeman, A.J., Letcher, R.A., Norton, J.P.: Ten iterative steps in development and evaluation of environmental models. Environ. Modell. Softw. 21(5), 602–614 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Franco, L.A., Montibeller, G.: Facilitated modelling in operational research. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 205(3), 489–500 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ritchey, T.: General morphological analysis: a general method for non-quantified modeling (2013). www.swemorph.com

  5. Hämäläinen, R.P., Luoma, J., Saarinen, E.: On the importance of behavioral operational research: the case of understanding and communicating about dynamic systems. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 228(3), 623–634 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Brocklesby, J.: The what, the why and the how of behavioural operational research—an invitation to potential sceptics. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 249(3), 796–805 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hämäläinen, R.P.: Behavioural issues in environmental modelling—the missing perspective. Environ. Model. Softw. 73, 244–253 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Mingers, J.: Ethics and OR: operationalising discourse ethics. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 210(1), 114–124 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Teles, M.F., Freire de Sousa, J.: Environmental management and business strategy: structuring the decision-making process in a public transport company. Transp. Res. Proc. 3, 155–164 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  10. de Fátima Teles, M., de Sousa, J.F.: Integrating environmental policies into business strategy: the problem structuring stage in a framework for decision support. In: Dargam, F., Hernández, J.E., Zaraté, P., Liu, S., Ribeiro, R., Delibašić, B., Papathanasiou, J. (eds.) EWG-DSS 2013. LNBIP, vol. 184, pp. 90–103. Springer, Heidelberg (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  11. White, L.: Understanding problem structuring methods interventions. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 199(3), 823–833 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Lahtinen, T.J., Hämäläinen, R.P.: Path dependence and biases in the even swaps decision analysis method. Eur. J. Oper. Res. 249(3), 890–898 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Marcus, L., Colding, J.: Toward an integrated theory of spatial morphology and resilient urban systems. Ecol. Soc. 19(4), 55 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Zwicky, F.: Discovery, Invention, Research Through the Morphological Approach. The Macmillan Company, Collier-Macmillan Canada Ltd., Toronto (1969)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Zwicky, F., Wilson, A.: New Methods of Thought and Procedure: Contributions to the Symposium on Methodologies. Springer, Berlin (1967)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  16. Ritchey, T.: Problem structuring using computer-aided morphological analysis. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 57, 792–801 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Müller-Merbach, H.: The use of morphological techniques for OR-approaches to problems. Oper. Res. 75, 27–139 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Ritchey, T.: Wicked Problems – Social Messes, Decision Support Modelling with Morphological Analysis. Springer, Heidelberg (2011)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  19. Warwick, J.: Library operational research: time for a new paradigm? In: Bell, G.A., et al. (eds.) Higher Education Management and Operational Research. Educational Futures, vol. 54, pp. 269–291. Sense Publishers, Dordrecht (2012)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  20. Swanich, S.: A critical evaluation of general morphological analysis as a future study methodology for strategic planning. Gordon Institute of Business Science University of Pretoria, Degree Master of Business Administration (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Im, K., Cho, H.: A systematic approach for developing a new business model using morphological analysis and integrated fuzzy approach. Expert Syst. Appl. 40(11), 4463–4477 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Seidenstricker, S., Scheuerle, S., Linder, C.: Business model prototyping–using the morphological analysis to develop new business models. Procedia Soc. Behav. Sci. 148, 102–109 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Frow, P., Nenonen, S., Payne, A., Storbacka, K.: Managing co-creation design: a strategic approach to innovation. Brit. J. Manage. 26(3), 463–483 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Storbacka, K., Nenonen, S.: Competitive arena mapping: market innovation using morphological analysis in business markets. J. Bus. Bus. Mark. 19(3), 183–215 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Heorhiadi, N., Iwaszczuk, N., Vilhutska, R.: Method of morphological analysis of enterprise management organizational structure. ECONTECHMOD Int. Q. J. 2(4), 17–28 (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Ostertagová, E., Kováč, J., Ostertag, O., Malega, P.: Application of morphological analysis in the design of production systems. Procedia Eng. 48, 507–512 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Jackson, M.C., Keys, P.: Towards a system of systems methodologies. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 35(6), 473–486 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Jackson, M.C.: Systems Thinking: Creative Holism for Managers. Wiley, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Gregory, R., Failing, L., Harstone, M., Long, G., McDaniels, T., Ohlson, D.: Structured Decision Making: a Practical Guide to Environmental Management Choices. Wiley, New York (2012)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  30. Ritchey, T.: Four models about decision support modeling. Acta Morph. Gen. 3(1) (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Bryson, J.M.: What to do when stakeholders matter: stakeholder identification and analysis techniques. Publ. Manage. Rev. 6(1), 21–53 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Daellenbach, H.G.: Hard OR, soft OR, problem structuring methods, critical systems thinking: a primer. In: Conference Twenty Naught One of the Operational Research Society of New Zealand (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Paucar-Caceres, A.: Operational research, systems thinking and development of management sciences methodologies in US and UK. Sci. Inq. J. Int. Inst. Gen. Syst. Stud. 9(1), 3–18 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Checkland, P.B.: Systems Thinking, Systems Practice. Wiley, New York (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Schwenk, C.R.: Cognitive simplification processes in strategic decision-making. Strateg. Manage. J. 5(2), 111–128 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Jackson, M.C.: Systems Approaches to Management. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Kogetsidis, H.: Systems approaches for organisational analysis. Int. J. Organ. Anal. 19(4), 276–287 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Paucar-Caceres, A., Espinosa, A.: Management science methodologies in environmental management and sustainability: discourses and applications. J. Oper. Res. Soc. 62(9), 1601–1620 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Huang, I.B., Keisler, J., Linkov, I.: Multi-criteria decision analysis in environmental sciences: ten years of applications and trends. Sci. Total Environ. 409(19), 3578–3594 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Macharis, C., Turcksin, L., Lebeau, K.: Multi actor multi criteria analysis (MAMCA) as a tool to support sustainable decisions: state of use. Decis. Support Syst. 54(1), 610–620 (2012)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Kelly, R.A., et al.: Selecting among five common modelling approaches for integrated environmental assessment and management. Environ. Model. Softw. 47, 159–181 (2013)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is financed by the ERDF – European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Programme for Competitiveness and Internationalization - COMPETE 2020 Programme within project «POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006961», and by National Funds through the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) as part of project UID/EEA/50014/2013.

The authors are also very grateful to the Swedish Morphological Society for supporting the GMA process using MA/Carma™.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria de Fátima Teles .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

de Fátima Teles, M., de Sousa, J.F. (2016). An Operations Research-Based Morphological Analysis to Support Environmental Management Decision-Making. In: Liu, S., Delibašić, B., Oderanti, F. (eds) Decision Support Systems VI - Addressing Sustainability and Societal Challenges. ICDSST 2016. Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing, vol 250. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32877-5_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32877-5_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-32876-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-32877-5

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics