Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) approach: An Overview

摘要

Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) is a well-established methodology for identifying relationships among specific items, which define a problem or an issue. This approach has been increasingly used by various researchers to represent the interrelationships among various elements related to the issue. ISM approach starts with an identification of variables, which are relevant to the problem or issue. Then a contextually relevant subordinate relation is chosen. Having decided the contextual relation, a structural self-interaction matrix (SSIM) is developed based on pairwise comparison of variables. After this, SSIM is converted into a reachability matrix (RM) and its transitivity is checked. Once transitivity embedding is complete, a matrix model is obtained. Then, the partitioning of the elements and an extraction of the structural model called ISM is derived. In this paper, key concept of ISM approach is discussed in detail.