An Integrated Fuzzy-BWM-TOPSIS with Chebyshev Distance Approach for Risk Evaluation in E-Business Cooperation

The remarkable expansion of e-business partnership between China and West Africa, especially Ghana, offers significant prospects for mutual economic and technological progress. Still, these collaborations encounter a multifaceted array of institutional, technological, sociological, and legal concerns that may compromise efficiency, trust, and long-term viability. This study assesses these risks utilizing data from 40 experts in Ghana’s consumer electronics, telecommunications, digital payments, and online retail industries. A comprehensive methodology integrating Fuzzy logic, the Best-Worst Method (BWM), and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) utilizing Chebyshev distance, was established to rank risks. The findings indicate that institutional obstacles, including insufficient digital transaction legislation and poor data governance, represent the most substantial barriers, closely followed by technology issues encompassing cybersecurity risks and infrastructural deficiencies. Cultural disparities, linguistic obstacles, and divergent customer behaviors hamper international business, while legal ambiguities in intellectual property safeguarding and contract enforcement intensify risk. This research utilizes Transaction Cost Theory, the Technology Acceptance Model, and Commitment-Trust Theory to provide a complete framework for understanding how these risks increase transaction costs and impede the practicality of cross-border e-business. The findings offer practical insights for governments, industry leaders, and investors aiming to reduce risks, enhance trust, and foster a robust digital commerce ecosystem between China and the West.