Personnel selection is increasingly proving to be an essential factor for the success of organizations. These issues almost universally involve multiple conflicting objectives, uncertainties, costs, and benefits in decision-making. In this context, personnel assessment problems, which include several candidates as alternatives, along with several complex evaluation criteria, can be solved by applying Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Uncertainty and subjectivity characterize the choice of personnel for missions or promotions at the military level. In this paper, we evaluated 30 Brazilian Navy officers in the light of four criteria and 34 subcriteria. To support the decision-making process regarding the promotion of officers, we applied the ELECTRE-Mor MCDM method. We categorized the alternatives into three classes in the modeling proposed in this work, namely: Class A (Promotion by deserving), Class B (Promotion by seniority), and Class C (Military not promoted). As a result, the method presented 20% of the officers evaluated with performance corresponding to class A, 53% of the alternatives to class B, and 26.7% with performances attributed to class C. In addition, we presented a sensitivity analysis procedure through variation of the cut-off level λ, allowing decision-making on more flexible or rigorous scenarios at the discretion of the Naval High Administration. This work brings a valuable contribution to academia and society since it represents the application of an MCDM method in state of the art to contribute to solving a real problem.
This study addresses Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which impacts around 936 million adults globally. The research introduces a novel decision support method named Communalities on Ranking and Objective Weights Method (CROWM), which employs principal component analysis (PCA), unsupervised Machine Learning technique, and Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) to calculate performance criteria weights of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP—key in managing OSA) and to evaluate these devices. Uniquely, the CROWM incorporates non-beneficial criteria in PCA and employs communalities to accurately represent the performance evaluation of alternatives within each resulting principal factor, allowing for a more accurate and robust analysis of alternatives and variables. This article aims to employ CROWM to evaluate CPAP for effectiveness in combating OSA, considering six performance criteria: resources, warranty, noise, weight, cost, and maintenance. Validated by established tests and sensitivity analysis against traditional methods, CROWM proves its consistency, efficiency, and superiority in decision-making support. This method is poised to influence assertive decision-making significantly, aiding healthcare professionals, researchers, and patients in selecting optimal CPAP solutions, thereby advancing patient care in an interdisciplinary research context.
Carefully selecting variables in problems with large volumes of data are extremely important, as it reduces the complexity of the model, improves the interpretation of the results, and increases computational efficiency, ensuring more accurate and relevant analyses. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to selecting variables in multiple regression models using the stepwise procedure. As the main contribution of this study, we present the stepwise function implemented in Python to improve the effectiveness of statistical analyses, allowing the intuitive and efficient selection of statistically significant variables. The application of the function is exemplified in a real case study of real estate pricing, validating its effectiveness in improving the fit of regression models. In addition, we presented a methodological framework for treating joint problems in data analysis, such as heteroskedasticity, multicollinearity, and nonadherence of residues to normality. This framework offers a robust computational implementation to mitigate such issues. This study aims to advance the understanding and application of statistical methods in Python, providing valuable tools for researchers, students, and professionals from various areas.