A discrete consensus support model for multiple attribute group decision making

In multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM), it is preferable that the set of experts reach a high degree of consensus amongst their opinions before applying a selection process. In this paper, we present a discrete model to support the consensus reaching process for MAGDM problems. Firstly, a consensus scheme for a set of arguments is provided, where the basic idea is to tighten the range of opinions amongst experts. Based on the well-defined scheme, a convergent algorithm is presented to autocratically guide experts to reach a predefined consensus level. In the selection process, the maximizing deviation method is applied to determine the attribute weights. Then, the choice of the best alternative(s) from the group decision matrix is obtained by the simple additive weighting method. Finally, one example is presented to show the application and effectiveness of the proposed model.