Graphical interpretation of outranking principles : Avoiding misinterpretation results from ELECTRE I

Purpose – This study aims to use a graphical approach to highlight the differences between outranking and preference relationships. The outranking principle is based on a structure of non-dominance, which differs from the usual structures of preferences. Design/methodology/approach – To reach the objective, the paper makes a deep analysis of outranking and preference relationships and uses graphical representation to highlight the differences between these two concepts. Graphical interpretation is also used to support the results form ELECTRE I and to highlight misinterpretation of results, such as rank reversal in ELECTRE I. Findings – The results show that the assumption of rank reversal while using ELECTRE I is a mistake. Originality/value – It was not found in literature a previous work paper that demonstrates a result like this one.