The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel hybrid approach to assess marketing-based flexibility with respect to its source factors, enablers and attributes.
The study demonstrates an application of a hybrid principal component analysis (PCA)-analytical hierarchical process (AHP)-multi-grade fuzzy approach (MFA) to measure marketing-based flexibility. Using PCA method, attributes, enablers and source factors of marketing-based flexibility were identified and a conceptual model was developed. AHP and MFA were used to compute marketing-based flexibility index.
The proposed approach measures existing level of marketing-based flexibility and therefore it identifies weak areas that should be taken care to improve flexibility.
The scope of the study is limited to plant level. The validity of the proposed approach is shown using a case study. For generalisation point of view, the application of this proposed approach should be investigated in a large number of firms in different industrial settings.
The study gives a reliable and valid method, which combines both statistical and MCDM techniques to measure existing level of flexibility and identify weak areas for flexibility improvement.
The findings provide insight into factors that should be worked upon to improve flexibility.
