IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/tjmaxx/v7y2020i2p281-300.html

An in-depth review of theory of the TOPSIS method: An experimental analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Yakup Çelikbilek
  • Fatih Tüysüz

Abstract

Decision-making is an important part of daily and business life for both individuals and organizations. Although the multi-criteria decision-making methods provide decision makers the necessary tools, they have differences in terms of the assumptions and fundamental theory. Hence, selecting the right decision-making method is at least as important as making the decision. TOPSIS (Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method, which is one of the most widely used multi-criteria decision-making methods, has gained attention of researchers and thus various improved versions of the method have been proposed. This study considers the conventional TOPSIS method and experimentally displays the underlying reasons of the lacks of the conventional TOPSIS method by using a simulation technique. Detailed experimental analysis based on simulation with an application is used to reveal theoretical fundamentals of the TOPSIS method to better understand it and contribute to its improvement.

Suggested Citation

  • Yakup Çelikbilek & Fatih Tüysüz, 2020. "An in-depth review of theory of the TOPSIS method: An experimental analysis," Journal of Management Analytics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 7(2), pages 281-300, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:tjmaxx:v:7:y:2020:i:2:p:281-300
    DOI: 10.1080/23270012.2020.1748528
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/23270012.2020.1748528
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/23270012.2020.1748528?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kerem Toker & Ali Görener, 2023. "Evaluation of circular economy business models for SMEs using spherical fuzzy TOPSIS: an application from a developing countries’ perspective," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(2), pages 1700-1741, February.
    2. Jovanović, Bojan & Šarac, Dragana & Čačić, Nataša, 2024. "Performance benchmarking of European postal incumbents with TOPSIS and BMW-TOPSIS," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    3. Yongmei Ding & Fengbi Zhang & X. Henry Wang, 2025. "Digital economy enabling low-carbon development—spatial spillover and heterogeneity," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 639-659, August.
    4. Zheng, Shunsheng & Jiang, Shouzheng & Cui, Ningbo & Zhao, Lu & Gong, Daozhi & Wang, Yaosheng & Wu, Zongjun & Liu, Quanshan, 2023. "Deficit drip irrigation improves kiwifruit quality and water productivity under rain-shelter cultivation in the humid area of South China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 289(C).
    5. A. J. Cetina-Quiñones & A. Bassam & J. G. Carrillo & Luis J. Ricalde & I. Pérez-Quintana & P. López de Paz, 2026. "Toward a sustainable dairy industry in Mexico: optimization of a parabolic trough solar collector system with passive heat-transfer enhancement techniques and a machine learning approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 8163-8197, April.
    6. Seyed Hosein Seyedi & Ali Najjar & Seyed Mohammad Seyedi, 2025. "The trends of fundraising in Iranian charities: methods, drivers, and risks," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 22(3), pages 751-784, September.
    7. Soheil Azizi & Milad Mohammadi, 2023. "Strategy selection for multi-objective redundancy allocation problem in a k-out-of-n system considering the mean time to failure," OPSEARCH, Springer;Operational Research Society of India, vol. 60(2), pages 1021-1044, June.
    8. Nondy, J. & Gogoi, T.K., 2022. "Tri-objective optimization of two recuperative gas turbine-based CCHP systems and 4E analyses at optimal conditions," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 323(C).
    9. Chaharborj, Sarkhosh Seddighi & Nabi, Khondoker Nazmoon & Feng, Koo Lee & Chaharborj, Shahriar Seddighi & Phang, Pei See, 2022. "Controlling COVID-19 transmission with isolation of influential nodes," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    10. Gao, Tanhao & Bernstein, Phillip & Zhou, Hongtao, 2026. "Interactive experience design evaluation of community emotional healing installations based on analytic hierarchy process method," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 388(C).
    11. Wang, Huiye & Chen, Renwei & Wang, Jing & Yin, Hong & He, Liang & Feng, Puyu & Huang, Mingxia & Li, Yang & You, Chao, 2025. "Optimization of cropping structure of staple crops and benefit evaluation based on carbon-water footprint in the black soil region of Northeast China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 321(C).
    12. Karadag, Mehmet & Gul, Muhammet & Yucesan, Melih & Ortiz-Barrios, Miguel & Ishizaka, Alessio & Khan, Jehangir, 2025. "Evaluation of Green Deal compliance performance with a hybrid comparative multi-attribute decision model," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    13. Qian, Yu & Ji, Jie & Xie, Hao & Jia, Hengmin & Meng, Hongju & Li, Jiyao & Mu, Yan, 2025. "Research on dynamic operation strategy of heating, power generation, and air purification-type BIPVT system combined with machine learning," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    14. Maria C. Cunha & Dalila Serpa & João Marques & Jan J. Keizer & Nelson Abrantes, 2023. "On sustainable improvements of agricultural practices in the Bairrada region (Portugal)," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 2735-2757, March.
    15. Sobhani, Peyman & Hasanzadeh, Nima & Rostamani, Mohammad J. & Najafi, Amir F., 2025. "In-pipe drag-based turbine blade optimization for energy harvesting in urban water networks: A novel theoretical approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C).
    16. Hossin, Md. Altab & Abudu, Hermas & Katsekpor, Johnson & Lei, Mu & Botah, Elvis Banoemuleng, 2025. "Tracking sustainable energy indicators in Africa: New evidence from technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    17. Nondy, J. & Gogoi, T.K., 2021. "Performance comparison of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms for exergetic and exergoenvironomic optimization of a benchmark combined heat and power system," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).
    18. Francesco Ciardiello & Andrea Genovese, 2023. "A comparison between TOPSIS and SAW methods," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 325(2), pages 967-994, June.
    19. Li, Jingyi & Gallego-Schmid, Alejandro & Stamford, Laurence, 2024. "Integrated sustainability assessment of repurposing onshore abandoned wells for geothermal power generation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 359(C).
    20. Shiyi Wu & Rui Niu, 2024. "Development of carbon finance in China based on the hybrid MCDM method," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    21. Yanan Wang & Jorge Calero & Chuansheng Gao & Jialei Ma, 2024. "Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Preschool Education Resource Allocation in China From 2011 to 2019: Based on Statistical and Spatial Analysis Methods," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(4), pages 21582440241, October.
    22. Prabjot Kaur & Supriyo Roy & Gagandeep Kaur, 2025. "Circular Economy Practices: A Case with Priority Selection Under Multi-Criteria Decision-Making," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 5(6), pages 4773-4799, November.
    23. Xiaoling Zhang & Haiqing Bai & Xinyu Xiao, 2025. "An Analytical Study of the Contribution of Residents’ Value Perceptions in the Context of Urban Physical Examination," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, September.
    24. Tomasz Wachowicz & Ewa Roszkowska, 2025. "Enhancing TOPSIS to Evaluate Negotiation Offers with Subjectively Defined Reference Points," Group Decision and Negotiation, Springer, vol. 34(4), pages 715-749, August.
    25. Xiaowen Zhou & Hongwei Li & Huili Zhang & Rongrong Zhang & Huan Li, 2022. "A Study on the Cognition of Urban Spatial Image at Community Scale: A Case Study of Jinghu Community in Zhengzhou City," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:tjmaxx:v:7:y:2020:i:2:p:281-300. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/tjma .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.