Group decision making using the analytic hierarchy process

Two different approaches to synthesize the judgments of a group are discussed, one deterministic and the other stochastic, which address the issues of obtaining priority weights for a group of individuals.

Abstract

Various methods of consensus of preference rankings of individuals are described in applying group decision making. Here, we discuss two different approaches, one deterministic and the other stochastic. The first is applicable to situations where the group is small, and the second applies to opinions of the population at large where one cannot deal with people on an individual basis. The dividing line between these two approaches is not made in stone and it is the choice of the decision maker to select one approach or the other. How does one synthesize the judgments of a group? In these approaches we address the issues of obtaining priority weights for a group of individuals. Importance ranking of the judges is considered in the deterministic case.