ABSTRACT
Interpretive structural modeling (ISM), which was proposed by Warfield (1974a, 1974b, 1976), is a computer-assisted methodology to construct and to understand the fundamental relationships of the elements in complex systems or situations. The theory of ISM is based on discrete mathematics, graph theory, social sciences, group decision making, and computer assistance (Warfield 1974a, 1974b, 1976). The procedures of ISM are begun through individual or group mental models to calculate a binary matrix, also called a relation matrix, to present the relations of the elements. The concepts of ISM can be summarized as follows.
