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.     

一种多属性的多物品拍卖方法研究

通常意义的多物品拍卖中,卖方只对买方的竞标价格和数量感兴趣,而不考虑竞标的其他属性。而在实际交易时,卖方往往需要考虑买方竞标更多的属性,如买方的企业信誉、付款方式、合作关系等,卖方对不同属性的买方竞标评价值不同。为此采用一种多属性的多物品拍卖模型,并用基于效用理论的多属性决策方法PROMETHEE-Ⅱ且属性的优先值与属性值成非线性关系正弦准则的优先函数进行实证分析。     

多属性逆向拍卖采购机制设计

全球市场环境不断向买方市场的转变,为企业利用逆向拍卖机制进行采购创造了条件。多属性逆向拍卖机制是采购拍卖中具有广泛应用价值的机制之一,在供应商成本和采购商效用具有可加属性特征的条件下,设计了一个基于模糊评价的多属性逆向拍卖机制,将各属性等级权重值设为供应行业提供此属性等级的平均边际成本,发现该机制是激励相容的较好机制。     

Web Services for Negotiation and Bargaining in Electronic Markets: Design Requirements, Proof-of-Concepts, and Potential Applications to e-Procurement

Information Systems researchers continue to develop Web services hoping that, in a near future, these services will be widely offered in the e-marketplace, using a Web-based protocol that is universally adopted for posting, locating and invoking available services. Posting services does not, however, necessarily lead to market transactions, and a number of brokering activities are needed to facilitate trade. These include, but are not limited to, service discovery and ranking, price negotiation and contract preparation. We propose a set of Web services that support the process of negotiation and bargaining to facilitate the matching of supply and demand of Web services. As a market broker, these web services would help (a) discover the supply/demand of web services in e-marketplaces; (b) find the most appropriate available service for a specific request; (c) facilitate services be modified if needed to satisfy user's needs; (d) arbitrate the pricing mechanism with the recourse to bargaining whenever necessary; and (e) generate a contract. As a proof of concept, we illustrate the potential use of Web services for negotiation and bargaining in e-procurement.     

Negotiation for Cooperation in Logistics Networks: An Experimental Study

This paper investigates the negotiation problem in a supply chain in which a supplier can realize cost savings if she reaches an agreement with a retailer to use the retailers accurate market data for production planning. We study the participants behavior in an asymmetric and a symmetric information scenario and model the experimental study as a reverse ultimatum game. The main finding is that the revelation of information in the game leads to higher payoffs for both parties and to a higher welfare.     

Implications of Negotiation Theory for Research and Development of Negotiation Support Systems

This paper summarizes a parametric theory of negotiation as a basis forshedding light on negotiation support system possibilities. Previously, thetheory has been used to analyze prior research accomplishments in the area ofnegotiation support systems. Here, we discuss implications of the theory thatare relevant for future research and development of negotiation supportsystems. The implications are concerned with three topics: a high-levelgeneric characterization of these systems, an identification of theirpossible support functions, and a taxonomy for classifying suchsystems.     

话说旅游拍卖

网上拍卖旅游线路，新鲜不新鲜?你听说过，可你知道详细的情形吗?让我详细地告诉你。     

Logrolling Procedure for Multi-Issue Negotiation

In order to better deal with the complexity in multi-issue negotiation, a quantitative method which produces Pareto optimal solutions through jointly improving exchange of issues is proposed. The trade-off process is modelled using logrolling, in which loss in some issues is traded for gain in others, resulting in overall gain for all parties. This mutual gain approach is designed based on the integrative negotiation strategy. The objective of the logrolling method is in negotiation support by providing a structure and systematic analysis for ill-defined multi-issue negotiation problems. This study presents a formal representation of logrolling, the sequential logrolling procedure that is based on the exchange of two issues, and the general properties of the efficient frontier produced by logrolling under a linear preference assumption. The study also includes some discussion on implementation aspects of the logrolling method.     

乱花渐欲迷人眼谈判骗术早知道

谈判骗术七经典-- ·蘑菇云: 这种战术是利用谈判之机,反复与对方接触,为摸清对方底数,只听取对方意见,自己不表态,待时机成熟,在对方毫无准备的情况下,突然提出某种方案,使对方措手不及,从而在谈判中占据上风.     

Negotiation Systems and Studies

Group Decision and Negotiation -     

Connectedness Problem Solving and Negotiation

Difficult polarizing problems/conflicts are pervasive in the United States and the world. Welcome to spiritual rationality/connectedness problem solving and negotiation involving spirituality and rationality, and emphasizing connectedness in problem solving. In particular, we develop CPSN-ESD—Connectedness Problem Solving and Negotiation (CPSN) through Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD)—discussing spiritual rationality/connectedness and highlighting connectedness with One and with each other as values, among others, in problem solving. In CPSN-ESD, CPSN is effected through ESD, a game-theory based, general formal systems- spirituality modeling/design framework for individual and multiagent (group) problem solving and negotiation implemented by computer technology. Problem solving is represented by an evolving problem system of purposes and their relations from the lowest-level action to the highest purpose, ultimate common ground—spirituality, connectedness with One (or a surrogate, as discussed). For an agent, an evolved problem system satisfying spiritual rationality identifies right action (a solution) producing spirituality, connectedness with One (or a surrogate). A negotiation agreement requires multiagent agreement on the action to be taken. Agents may be natural or artificial. The paper focuses mostly on human agents with ideas being applicable to other natural and artificial (computer) agents with lesser (or greater) capabilities than humans according to their built-in capabilities. Present-to-future CSPN-ESD work includes furthering support of human agents; designing spiritual agents; designing multiagent systems for connectedness capitalism; developing connectedness democracy; further research and applications on intercultural and international negotiation; work on the world connected.     

WTO谈判冻结及其影响

WTO谈判还未完成预定的日程就难以为继,不得不宣告冻结了。美国、欧盟和以印度、巴西为代表的20国集团三方对峙、互相牵制、互不让步的局面,形成了一个很难解开的“三角死结”,这是导致农业谈判破裂和谈判冻结的根本原因。谈判冻结使WTO的威信再次动摇,如不及时采取补救措施,谈判就有可能归于失败,从而使WTO所有成员特别是发展中成员蒙受巨大的损失。     

Justice and Fairness in Negotiation

In this special issue we display a variety of approaches to the study of justice. Articles from scholars working on questions involving justice and fairness in decision making exchanges calls attention to variety of research approaches, issue domains, cases and hypotheses used to explore these questions. All of the contributions emphasize analysis, using quantitative and qualitative methods including simulation-experiments, comparative case studies, statistical analyses and game theory. The articles in this collection reveal that justice and fairness concerns extend from the negotiation process to the outcome and into the implementation stage. They share the underlying expectation that individuals and groups gravitate toward fairness and justice in their exchanges with others. Therefore, a full understanding of group decision processes will be incomplete if justice and fairness issues are not considered alongside issues such as power distributions and alternatives to an agreement. The authors also suggest that outcomes built on justice and fairness principles will enhance the efficiency, stability and implementation of the negotiated agreements.     

Computer-Assisted International Negotiation: A Tool for Research and Practice

This article describes a web-based computer-assisted tool for diagnosing progress in international negotiation. Following a discussion of the need for such a tool, we provide the research sources for its development, present the model on which it is based, describe how it works, and present the results of attempts to validate its diagnoses with case materials. Focusing on flexibility in negotiation, the program consists of questions divided into five categories: issues, parties, delegations, situation, and process. The questions track to variables shown in published studies to influence flexibility. Answers to the questions are processed according to algorithms that include weights derived from the results of a statistical meta-analysis of bargaining studies. An example of the question-answer format and computations leading to the diagnoses are provided. A help function that provides advice for resolving impasses is also described. Strong correspondences between diagnoses generated by the program and actual outcomes obtained in a number of cases attest to the validity of the approach. The article concludes with ideas for further development stimulated by the web-based version of the program.     

暗标拍卖的博弈分析

对于拍卖问题的理论研究始于哥伦比亚大学的William Vickrey教授的开创性研究。在此之后,相关理论也开始展开,并结合了博弈论的理论知识。作为拍卖理论中的一个分支,暗标拍卖是指参与拍卖的竞价者在互不知道其他竞价者的报价情况下各自出价,统一时间开标,价高者中标的拍卖行为。在博弈论的理论中,暗标拍卖实际上是一个不完全信息博弈,即静态贝叶斯博弈。通过建立暗标拍卖的策略模型,并进行详细数理推导。得出在参与竞价的人数为n的情况下的最佳博弈方i的最佳报价策略。     

An ESD Computer Culture for Intercultural Problem Solving and Negotiation

Intercultural problem solving and negotiation involves interaction of two or more cultures. These processes may be formally modeled using the Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD) framework implemented by appropriate computer group support systems (GSS). The ESD/GSS combination provides an ESD computer culture for intercultural problem solving and negotiation in a same place/same time or telework mode. With this, players in a multicultural group can be computer supported in generating and formally representing an evolving common culture (a situational culture) with regard to the specific problem at hand - an intercultural evolving group problem representation and solution. At the same time, the ESD computer culture provides an operational cybernetic/self-organization framework for the empirical study of cultural emergence in a multicultural group. This paper uses and develops work by Shakun (1996b).     

E-Alliance: A Negotiation Infrastructure for Virtual Alliances

In this paper we provide an overview of E-Alliance, a software infrastructure we are developing to support negotiation activities in concurrent inter-organisational alliances. Our baseline is to offer a collaboration framework which fully preserves the autonomy of organisations grouped in an alliance, while enabling concurrency of their activities, flexibility of their negotiations and dynamic evolution of their environment. We propose to support negotiation between the partners within such alliances by combining different technologies, such as software engineering techniques, middleware-level coordination facilities and multiagent systems support. We present our approach in the context of a sample scenario of an alliance where partners are printshops capable of (out/in) sourcing print jobs among them to better accomplish their customers' requests.     

A Formal Basis for Negotiation Support System Research

A high-level theoretical model of negotiation activity is introduced as a foundation for guiding future research and development in the area of negotiation support literature. A formal model at this level is presently absent from the negotiation support systems. The model is formally expressed in terms of definitions and postulates that describe eight important negotiation parameters. Relationships between the model and research in game theory, social behavior science, and decision support systems fields are examined.     

A Classification Scheme for Negotiation in Electronic Commerce

In the last few years we have witnessed a surge of business-to-consumer and business-to-business commerce operated on the Internet. However, most current electronic commerce systems are little more than electronic catalogues that allow a user to purchase a product under predetermined and inflexible terms and conditions. We believe that in the next few years we will see a new generation of electronic commerce systems emerge, based on automated negotiation. In this paper, we identify the main parameters on which any automated negotiation depends. To show the applicability of our classification framework, we use it to categorise a representative sample of some of the most prominent negotiation models that exist in the literature.