A Generic Framework for Automated Multi-attribute Negotiation

Agents in a negotiation may have to negotiate multiple issues simultaneously. Automated multi-attribute negotiation provides an important mechanism for distributed decision makers to reach agreements on multiple issues. Moreover, it also furnishes the opportunity to reach “win–win” solutions. In this paper, we first provide a survey that synthesizes the research on multi-attribute negotiation. We discuss the limitations of the existing research and conclude that three key issues need further study: incomplete information, Pareto optimality, and tractability. We then present a generic framework for automated multi-attribute negotiation with two new mechanisms that address the above issues. Finally, we discuss the challenges and directions for future work.     

多哈回合贸易便利化议题:回顾、成员立场分析与谈判前景

日内瓦小型部长级会议上,由于美国和印度在农产品特殊保障机制上的严重分歧,历时9天的谈判宣告破裂,也意味着多哈回合在2008年结束谈判的希望彻底落空。贸易便利化议题作为多哈回合的九大主要议题之一,虽然不是导致本回合搁浅的直接导火索,其在整个谈判中的分量也是值得掂量的。随着多哈回合的再次中止,贸易便利化议题的谈判成果也只能暂时被搁置在桌面上。一波三折的谈判过程,错综复杂的成员立场,希望渺茫似乎又触手可及的谈判前景的确是耐人寻味。     

中缅能源合作的前景及挑战

随着中国经济的迅速发展,对能源等原材料的需求急剧上升。由于缅甸的能源资源丰富,中缅地缘相近,中缅在能源安全、政治经济上的相互依赖使中国与缅甸的能源合作达到了前所未有的密切程度,中国在缅甸投资中的负面效应对未来中国在缅经济活动形成了挑战,印度、泰国与中国在缅甸的能源竞争在新的条件下将会更加激烈。为妥善处理双方利益争端,寻求双方共同利益面,创造共赢。我国需要积极推动和介入缅甸国内政治改革,保持和发展与缅甸良好的政治关系,更好协调彼此核心利益,加强公共外交,妥善处理与缅甸国内的反对派和民众的关系,寻找彼此优势合作,互利双赢、共同发展,在缅甸能源合作领域上,中国需要建立各能源消费国之间的平衡,减少不良竞争,风险共担。     

Innovations in the Baltic Rim Region until 2025: Challenges and Prospects

This article examines the role of different actors (European Union [EU] structures, governmental institutions of the member-states, and regional companies with global outreach) in development of the innovation strategy in the Baltic Sea Rim. We identify three sub-regions, which are now in the stage of gradual convergence (“old” and “new” member-states of the EU as well as Russia), and focus on the main challenge to the region today, which is the ability of its countries to secure and strengthen the liberal nature of their socioeconomic systems. This research is based on the findings of the studies undertaken by authors as well as on our personal experience in the development of the Russian innovative ecosystem. It concludes that to avoid technological lagging behind other regions, governments of the Baltic Sea countries should complement the EU policies by implementing a set of proactive measures aimed at promotion of national innovations and intraregional cooperation.     

Clinical Assessment Methods in Negotiation Research: The Study of Narcissism and Negotiator Effectiveness

Field studies suggest that individual differences are strong determinants negotiator effectiveness, but their impact has yet to be adequately documented (Thompson 1990). We argue that the lack of empirical confirmation is attributable to methodological limitations of the dominant paradigm. This paper shows the usefulness of psychodynamically-oriented constructs and clinical assessment methods. The study contrasts the negotiation experience of individuals high and low in narcissistic functioning, a core psychodynamic variable, and the deep-seated character trait that underlies the interpersonal orientation construct. Implications of this approach for the design of personality assessment and negotiation research are explored.     

Ethics, Deception and Labor Negotiation

There has been widespread emphasis on the importance of trust amongst parties to the employment relationship, associated with a call for increased "integrative bargaining". Trust is bound up with ethical action, but there has been some debate about the ethics of deception in bargaining. Because it is possible for cooperative bargainers to be exploited, some writers contend that deceptive behavior is ethical and established practice. There are several problems about that view. It is questionable how clear and uniform such a practice has been. An appearance of deceptive bluffing can often be explained as exchange of genuine concessions. Recent trends have seen increased devolution of bargaining from professionals to non-professionals, which dilutes any shared understandings there have been in the past, while practices that do exist may not be freely or voluntarily accepted and the existence of such practices is not enough to compensate for inequalities of power and skill. It is questionable to what extent bluffing and deception are necessary for self-defense. There other techniques available by which parties can guard themselves against exploitation.     

Negotiation Engineering: A Quantitative Problem-Solving Approach to Negotiation

Although they are often complex, negotiations are practical problems that can be solved with the aid of specialized, ad hoc methods. We introduce a problem-solving approach to difficult negotiations inspired by the established solution-oriented discipline of engineering, which we term “Negotiation Engineering”. It is based on the reduction of problems to their most formal structures and the heuristic application of quantitative methods for problem solving. We argue that mathematical language in negotiations helps to increase logical accuracy in negotiation analysis and allows for the use of a variety of existing helpful mathematical tools to achieve a negotiation agreement. We demonstrate the practicability and usefulness of this approach using four case studies in the area of international diplomacy in which Negotiation Engineering was applied to achieve negotiation solutions.     

规制经济学实证研究方法的演进与展望

实证研究是规制经济学发展的重要内容,对于丰富规制经济学理论和提高政府规制质量具有重要意义,实证方法则是进行实证研究的主要工具。近年来,国内外学者围绕不同领域的政府规制问题,运用各种方法进行了实证分析,推动了规制实证研究的发展。本文以规制经济学学科对实证研究的需求为出发点,对规制实证研究方法的演进过程及现状进行了系统总结,进一步分析了规制实证研究的优势与所面临的困难,最后对规制实证研究方法的发展前景进行了展望。     

Computer-Aided Tools in Negotiation: Negotiable Issues,Counterfactual Thinking,and Satisfaction

Negotiations research has identified both economic and social-psychological outcomes are important for negotiations. Despite the economic advantages of having multiple issues to negotiate, inconsistencies exist between objective economic outcomes and negotiator satisfaction. Although having more negotiable issues yields better objective payoffs, it can result in more thoughts about different possible outcomes. Such counterfactual thoughts about different outcomes can reduce overall satisfaction due to increased cognitive complexity and thoughts about different outcomes. In this study, we explore how information technology can influence negotiator satisfaction and better manage counterfactual thoughts and post-negotiation satisfaction. Results support the prediction that having a computer aid to better manage cognitively complex issues, even a relatively simple one, reduces participants’ counterfactual thoughts about better possible outcomes. As a result, the use of some type of technology—even a simple technology such as a spreadsheet—may improve overall negotiator satisfaction, while maintaining desirable economic outcomes.     

Negotiation processes,Evolutionary Systems Design,and NEGOTIATOR

A negotiation accord is often the result of an intense, laborious, and evolutionary negotiation process. During this process, disputing parties are confronted with goal, judgment, and outcome conflict. This article demonstrates the utility of a conflict resolution framework—Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD)—by using a Negotiation Support System. ESD seeks to guide negotiators to move their individual goals and judgments in such a way as to enhance the chance of achieving a common solution. As illustrated by the use of NEGOTIATOR, a multiattribute utility negotiation support system, we argue that computer mediation can prove to be an effective means to implement the ESD framework.     

Mutually Dependent: Power,Trust, Affect and the Use of Deception in Negotiation

Using a simulated two-party negotiation, we examined how trustworthiness and power balance affected deception. In order to trigger deception, we used an issue that had no value for one of the two parties. We found that high cognitive trust increased deception whereas high affective trust decreased deception. Negotiators who expressed anxiety also used more deception whereas those who expressed optimism also used less deception. The nature of the negotiating relationship (mutuality and level of dependence) interacted with trust and negotiators’ affect to influence levels of deception. Deception was most likely to occur when negotiators reported low trust or expressed negative emotions in the context of nonmutual or low dependence relationships. In these relationships, emotions that signaled certainty were associated with misrepresentation whereas emotions that signaled uncertainty were associated with concealment of information. Negotiators who expressed positive emotions in the context of a nonmutual or high dependence relationship also used less deception. Our results are consistent with a fair trade model in which negotiator increases deception when contextual and interpersonal cues heighten concerns about exploitation and decrease deception when these cues attenuate concerns about exploitation.     

Ubuntu and Business Ethics: Problems,Perspectives and Prospects

The African philosophy of Ubuntu is typically characterised as a communitarian philosophy that emphasises virtues such as compassion, tolerance and harmony. In recent years there has been growing interest in this philosophy, and in how it can be applied to a variety of disciplines and issues. Several authors have provided useful introductions of Ubuntu in the field of business ethics and suggested theoretical ways in which it could be applied. The purpose of this paper is to extend this discussion by providing a more critical analysis of Ubuntu and business ethics with the aim of clarifying the role that Ubuntu can play, and providing guidance for further research in this area. The analysis consists of three sections. In the first, certain problems are identified within the existing literature. This is followed by a consideration of alternative perspectives and interpretations of Ubuntu. The last section, following from the first two, identifies specific areas requiring further research, both empirical and non-empirical, as well as ways in which Ubuntu could be fruitfully applied.     

Gamification of Electronic Negotiation Training: Effects on Motivation,Behaviour and Learning

Group Decision and Negotiation - Organisations are involved in various types of negotiation. As digitalisation advances, such business negotiations are to a large extent electronic negotiations....     

多哈回合谈判的前景:基于WTO谈判的博弈模型

本文揭示出参与WTO实质谈判和激烈讨价还价的是少数几个跨国集团联盟。本文利用博弈论作为理论框架,构建一个简单的博弈学习模型研究多边贸易谈判的未来前景。本文认为,如果初始阶段各个集团内部同时有强硬派和温和派,那么随着时间的推移,双方的强硬派会逐渐增多,当双方都是由强硬派谈判官员构成的时候,博弈结束,最终参与方不会达成任何协议。现在多边贸易谈判受挫的主要原因是谈判各方对农业利益持有不同的观点,谈判恢复和协议的最终达成依赖于各方对农业生产者利益的让步。