Analytical hierarchy process in selecting the factors affecting the competitiveness of the corrugated box making industries in Iran

Background and objectives: In the era of growing globalization competitiveness has been considered as a major issue among policy-makers at different levels, so, the purpose of this study were determining and ranking of the effective indices on competitiveness of Iran’s corrugated box making industries by analytical hierarchy process.
Materials and Methods: This study from the point of aim was descriptive-survey, implementation process was combination and results were applied. For this purpose, reviewing and investigating of researches carried out by others and interviewing with a numbers of specialists, the questionnaire including 4 main- factors and 26 sub-factors is designed and distributed between active corporations. The importance degree of criteria and alternatives after getting expert’s opinions and applying analytical hierarchy process are determined. Questionnaire reliability was measured by Cronbach's alpha test. Considering the fact that the research variables have been formed from several dimensions (factors), in order to assess the validity, the confirmatory factor analysis has been used.
Results: The results in Expert choice software showed that material and product factor (0.59 relative weights), Human being factor (0.185), technical factor (0.140) and economic factor (0.07) had highest to lowest impact on competitiveness of corrugated box making industries in Iran respectively. Ranking of the materials and products sub-factors showed that the variety of materials and sustainability management has the most and least importance respectively. Prioritizing of the effective sub-factors of human being indicated that skill improvement and personals has highest and lowest importance respectively. The sub-factors of applying innovation and modern and high technology has the most and least importance respectively. Ranking of the economic sub-factors showed that branding and economic stability has the most and least importance respectively. Among the effective sub- factors, the variety of products ( 0.154) ,quality of products(0.143) and economic stability and lower cost- price had the most and least importance respectively.
Conclusions: The ranking results showed that the factors had the most utility from the consumers and suppliers of materials and products, in competitiveness have been the most important for the corrugated box making industry. Analysis of the attitudes of quality with competitive pattern, reveal important aspects of relationship between different attitudes of the quality of materials and products and the company's success. In explaining these results, it can be noted that only quality can create sustainable success in a way that balanced the benefits and costs to meet customer and organization profitability in a competitive environment. Also, various branches of wood and paper industry to enhance its competitiveness requires have to use of new technologies and take advantage of new machinery and modern production.