A Two-Sided Matching Method for Green Suppliers and Manufacturers with Intuitionistic Linguistic Preference Information

Purpose: Existing methodologies on two-sided matching seldom consider asymmetry, uncertainty, and the fuzziness of preference information; therefore, this study aims to develop a methodology for solving the selection process between green suppliers and manufacturers with intuitionistic linguistic numbers. Methods: This study first constructs the evaluation indicators for both sides, which are depicted as intuitionistic linguistic numbers. Subsequently, we redefine the intuitionistic linguistic numbers’ expected function based on regret theory. By considering the psychological behaviors due to the regret aversion of decision makers, the study constructs the comprehensive perceived values of decision makers. Furthermore, by maximizing the comprehensive perceived values for the two sides, the multi-objective matching model is established. In addition, this study adopts a min-max method to transform the multi-objective optimal model into the single-objective model. Conclusion: This study considers fuzziness and hesitancy of the preference information in addition to the psychological behavior arising from the regret aversion of decision makers. The two-sided matching method proposed by this paper has more validity and effectiveness than that of existing methods.