COMPARISON OF THE ANALYTIC NETWORK PROCESS AND THE GRAPH MODEL FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION

1. Introduction A strategic conflict is a situation in which two or more decision-makers are to make a decision that affects issues they have different preferences about (Fang et al. 1993). Conflicts are one of the most characteristic attributes of human societies. Various forms of strategic conflict exist all around us, in areas such as environmental management, international rela-tions, economic competition, and relationships among individuals. Conflicts are studied in a wide range of disci…

Comparison of the analytic network process and the graph model for conflict resolution

A comparison of two decision analysis tools for the analysis of strategic conflicts, the Analytic Network Process (ANP) and the graph model for conflict resolution, is carried out by applying them to the China-US TV dumping conflict. Firstly, the graph model is introduced along with practical procedures for modeling and analyzing conflicts using the decision support software, GMCR II. Next, ANP is explained, emphasizing structural features and procedures for synthesizing priorities. Then a framework for employing ANP to analyze strategic conflicts is designed and used to compare ANP to the graph model. The case study of the China-US TV dumping conflict provides a basis for the graph model and ANP to be compared; different features of the approaches are highlighted. The study shows that because of different theoretical backgrounds, ANP and the graph model for conflict analysis both provide useful information which can be combined to furnish a better understanding of a strategic conflict.