Delphi [1] is often used to combine and refine the opinions of a heterogeneous group of experts in order to establish a judgment based on a merging of the information collectively available to the experts. However, in this process it is possible to submerge differences of opinion and thus suppress the existence of uncertainty. In many situations it might be advisable to run separate Delphis usi...

The purpose of this study was to examine academic department chair perceptions about the future influence of web-based distance education on departmental operations and their changing role as academic leader. Using a rating, modified-policy Delphi method, the researcher worked with 22 department chairs employed at public, urban universities in the United States to develop 76 factor statements a...

The introduction of fuzzy logic into expert systems is an approach that allows expert systems to deal with real-world aspects that cannot be modeled accurately with classical crisp logic. An example is the formation of human opinions that are not always crisp with respect to the membership of a certain element in a set. In addition, the Delphi method is a technique for forming a stable consensu...

Local industries are crucial for enhancing urban competitiveness and are closely related to national economic performance. To sustainably develop local industries, a set of assessment indices should be formulated in addition to factors such as geographical environments, cultural history, development processes, and industrial structures for governments to promote development policies while satis...

Rowe and Wright’s paper "The Delphi Technique as a Forecasting Tool" was initially reviewed by four experts in the area of judgmental forecasting. Following three rounds of revisions, the paper was accepted for publication. It was then sent for commentary by Professors Ayton, Ferrell, and Stewart. The lead paper should be of interest to researchers because it identifies important aspects of the...

Formerly one of the Yugoslav republics, Slovenia declared its independence in June 1991. Together with Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Poland, Slovenia forms the group of leading IS technology markets among the new democracies in Central and Eastern Europe. The Delphi technique was used to compile a list of the key issues in information systems (IS) management in Slovenia, to quantify them, an...

The supply chains (SCs) have to appeal to new management paradigms to improve their ability to respond rapidly and cost effectively to unpredictable changes in markets and increasing levels of environmental turbulence, both in terms of volume and variety. In this highly demanded context, the Agile paradigm provides the capabilities to SC quickly adapt to changes in the market requirements. The ...

Identifying how insurgents disrupt established markets is a major challenge. In this paper we study the disruptive potential of Skype, which is an Internet start-up company and potential insurgent to the telecom market. Our analysis is composed of two parts. First, we describe a Delphi study based on an analytical instrument developed by Rafii and Kampas that shall help us to discover Skype’s d...

This paper presents a patient safety applicator tool for implementing and assessing patient safety systems in health care institutions. The applicator tool consists of critical processes and performance measures identified in the context of the 2003 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) Health Care Criteria for Performance Excellence. The Delphi technique was used for gaining consensu...

Real Time Delphi (RTD) is an advanced online implementation of the Delphi Method (DM), designed to speed up the period of time needed to conduct a survey using nowadays internet technology. However its overall design is still very restricted and does not leverage the full potential for collaboration of this new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) channel. In this paper we propose tw...