An AHP-ANP Integrated Framework of Evaluating Innovative Business Models for Sustainable Building

Abstract

Sustainable building (SB) has emerged as an innovative approach to minimizing resource consumption and its resulting impacts on ecological systems. Innovative business models are in need to present the economic viability of sustainable standards and promote the market uptake of SB. However, there is a lack of consistent evaluation of SBs’ business value and of structured selection of appropriate business models. The interdependence among performance evaluation criteria is still ambiguous. This paper aims to develop a systematic performance evaluation network for innovative business models of SB and exploring the interdependencies among main criteria to improve the decision accuracy in the evaluation process. First, the key performance criteria and detailed indicators for evaluating business models for SB are identified based on a comprehensive literature review and questionnaire-based survey. Then the interdependencies among the performance criteria are identified through a focus group meeting. Six integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)–Analytical Network Process (ANP) based expert surveys have been conducted with clients and developers for SB to reveal the weights and interdependencies among the criteria. Finally eight key criteria and thirty-three indicators with determined weights in terms of short-term performance and long-term performance are identified, and the network demonstrating the qualitative interdependencies among them has been also constructed. The results contribute to enhancing the understanding of business model innovations for SB. The developed network provides stakeholders a consolidated tool for the systematic selection and evaluation of various business models.