EURO 2025 Leeds
Abstract Submission

1162. A review indicates low stakeholder participation and use of behavioral OR in MCDA applied to environmental problems

Invited abstract in session TB-61: Addressing behavioral issues of real-world problems 2, stream Behavioural OR.

Tuesday, 10:30-12:00
Room: Maurice Keyworth G.31

Authors (first author is the speaker)

1. Judit Lienert
Environmental Social Sciences (ESS), Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology

Abstract

Aim of this critical review of 118 articles was to gain an overview of the state of the art of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) applied to environmental problems. The articles stem exclusively from Operational Research (OR) and Management Science (MS) journals. Here, I will focus on participatory stakeholder processes and aspects especially relevant to behavioral OR. Although most articles addressed a practice case, around one third did not document any interaction with stakeholders in a real-world case, but used data from earlier cases, or fictitious data. Interactions were with only a few experts in many articles, and not with a broader, representative group of stakeholders. Adequate problem structuring in the early MCDA steps was generally neglected, or possibly not well documented. Main focus of preference elicitation was on weights, and less on other preference parameters. Often, it was unclear how weights were elicited and from whom. Only around one quarter of the 69 publications with real-world interaction mentioned behavioral aspects such as learning, preference elicitation, people’s cognitive limitations, or biases. Documentation of post-MCDA processes such as giving feedback or policy implementation were also rare. I will conclude with some discussion points concerning a possible future research agenda, which includes strengthening behavioral OR in application cases, and joining efforts across disciplines to develop protocols and standards of documentation.

Keywords

Status: accepted

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