Determination of personnel selection criteria for merchant ships using fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS techniques

In this study, the aim was to determine the necessary criteria for selecting individuals to serve as captains on commercial ships. Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods were hybridly employed. Using the fuzzy AHP method, the importance values of main and sub-criteria for captain selection were calculated. Additionally, a practical example was conducted using the fuzzy TOPSIS method to identify the best candidate among three captain candidates. An expert group consisting of eight individuals was consulted to establish the main and sub-criteria used in the study. Through a review of the literature and the insights of the expert group, five main criteria and 32 sub-criteria were identified. Forms utilized in fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods were distributed to the expert group, and evaluations were computed using Microsoft Excel. The main criteria of Education and Professional Qualifications, and Safety and Risk Management Awareness were found to have higher importance values compared to others. At the sub-criteria level, the top five positions were occupied by sector experience, foreign language proficiency, education in maritime field, relevant training and certifications, and risk assessment and improvement criteria, respectively. Utilizing the importance rankings of these sub-criteria obtained from the study, a fuzzy TOPSIS application was conducted. According to the results of this application, Candidate 2 was identified as the most suitable candidate for the captain position with a score of 0.0283. Candidate 3 followed closely with a score of 0.0258, and Candidate 1 ranked last with a score of 0.0242. The study introduces an approach where fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS methods are combined for personnel selection in the maritime sector. The proposed hybrid approach has been found applicable for personnel selection within the sector.