A Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Approach for International Shipping Operator Selection Based on Single-Valued Neutrosophic Power Hamy Mean Operators

Maritime shipping is a crucial method of transporting goods internationally and is vital in supporting global trade. However, due to its global scope, the international shipping market is susceptible to political and economic disturbances. The recent escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has severely impacted the international shipping market, particularly in the tense Red Sea region. Previous research has neglected the significance of evaluating international shipping companies, particularly their origins, within their evaluation frameworks. A fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) approach is necessary to address the complexity of evaluating shipping companies with unclear criteria and uncertain expert opinions. Symmetry is crucial in various mathematical fields, with recent applications in hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs) and neutrosophic sets (NSs), which are frequently employed to solve complex MADM problems. The consideration of symmetry in decision-making processes can enhance the robustness and fairness of evaluations, ensuring a balanced and unbiased approach. The neutrosophic-hesitant fuzzy set (NHFS) considers both the uncertainty of membership degrees of elements (hesitancy in HFSs) and the performance of membership degrees in the true, false, and neutral aspects (the ternary relation in NSs). NHFSs can be seen as a generalization of HFSs and NSs, providing a flexible mathematical framework to more effectively describe and analyze the uncertainties, hesitancies, and fuzziness involved in MADM problems. This study presents single-valued neutrosophic power Hamy mean (SVNPHM) operators and single-valued neutrosophic weighted power Hamy mean (SVNWPHM) operators, which are derived from power aggregation operators (AOs) and the Hamy mean (HM), within the framework of single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNS). Some properties were investigated via these operators. Furthermore, SVNWPHM operators were employed to address single-valued neutrosophic MADM issues. The proposed methodology was validated by conducting a case study on international shipping provider selection, showcasing the methodology's relevance and efficiency.