Journal of Competitiveness | 2026
Authors: Rostamzadeh R.; Bicer A.A.; Ghorbani S.; Šaparauskas J.; Turskis Z.; Abdsharafat M.
DOI: 10.7441/joc.2026.01.03
Journal: Journal of Competitiveness
Year: 2026
Publisher: Tomas Bata University in Zlín
Document Type: Article
Open Access: All Open Access; Gold Open Access
Cited by: 0
This paper introduces a hybrid decision-making model that integrates the fuzzy best-worst method with fuzzy VIKOR to determine the relative importance and prioritization of key indicators of entrepreneurship in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with a specific focus on enhancing SME competitiveness. By employing triangular fuzzy numbers to capture expert judgments, the proposed framework first applies F-BWM to evaluate the significance of six critical dimensions namely organizational innovation, risk-taking, external factors, competitiveness, responsiveness, and internal factors and subsequently uses fuzzy VIKOR, based on the derived weights, to rank four prominent SME sectors operating within a specific industrial setting. The findings indicate that organizational innovation (0.219) and risk-taking (0.217) exert the greatest influence on entrepreneurial competitiveness, whereas internal factors have the least impact (0.127). Among the sectors examined, the food and beverage industry emerge as the most favorable compromise solution (Q = 0.403). Overall, the proposed hybrid approach enhances the coherence and reliability of decision-making under uncertainty and provides practical and policy-relevant insights for policymakers and SME managers seeking to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and sustainability in regional industrial development. © 2026, Tomas Bata University in Zlín. All rights reserved.
Entrepreneurship Indicators; Fuzzy Best-Worst Method; Fuzzy VIKOR; Industrial Competitiveness; Innovation Capability; SMEs