Abstract
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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amgoud, L., N. Maudet, and S. Parsons. (2000). “Modelling Dialogues Using Argumentation,” in Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems. Boston, USA
Bailey, J. P. and Y. Bakos. (1997). “An Exploratory Study of the Emerging Role of Electronic Intermediaries,” International Journal of Electronic Commerce 1(3), 7–20.
Bettman, J. (1979). An Information Processing Theory to Consumer Choice. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Binmore, K. (1992). Fun and Games. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Co.
Davies, R. and R. G. Smith. (1983). “Negotiation as a Metaphor for Distributed Problem Solving,” Artificial Intelligence 20(1), 63–109.
EBA: http://www.ebay.com/.
Engel, J. and R. Blackwell. (1982). Consumer Behavior, 4th edition. PCBS College Publishing.
Firefly: http://www.firefly.com.
Faratin, P., C. Sierra, and N. R. Jennings. (1998). “Negotiation Decision Functions for Autonomous Agents,” International Journal of Robotics and Autonomous Systems 24(3–4), 159–182.
Faratin, P., C. Sierra, N. R. Jennings, and P. Buckle. (1999). “Designing Responsive and Deliberative Automated Negotiators,” in Proceedings AAAI Workshop on Negotiation: Settling Conflicts and Identifying Opportunities. Orlando, FL, 12–18.
Faratin, P., C. Sierra, and N. R. Jennings. (2000). “Using Similarity Criteria to Make Negotiation Trade-offs,” in Proceedings AAAI 4th International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems (ICMAS2000). Boston, USA.
Faratin, P., N. R. Jennings, P. Buckle, and C. Sierra. (2000). “Autonomated Negotiation for Provisioning Virtual Private Networks Using FIPA-Complaint agents,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (PAAM-2000). Manchester, UK, 185–202.
Friedman, D. and J. Rust (eds.). (1993). The Double Auction Market: Institutions, Theories and Evidence. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Guttman, R., A. Moukas, and P. Maes. (1998). “Agent-Mediated Electronic Commerce: A Survey,” Knowledge Engineering Review 13(2), 147–159.
Hammond, K. J. (1986). Case-Based Planning: An Integrated Theory of Planning, Learning, and Memory. PhD thesis, Yale University, YALEU/CSD/RR'488.
Hotwire: http://www.hotwire.com.
Howard, J. and J. Sheth. (1969). The Theory of Buyer Behavior. Wiley.
Jennings, N. R., P. Faraton, T. J. Norman, P. O'Brien, and B. Odgers. (2000). “Autonomous Agents for Business Process Management,” International Journal of Applied Artificial Intelligence 2(14), 145–189.
Jennings, N. R., S. Parons, C. Sierra, and P. Faratin. (2000). “Automated Negotiation,” in Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Systems (PAAM-2000). Manchester, UK.
Jennings, N. R., P. Faratin, A. R. Lomuscio, S. Parons, C. Sierra, and M. Wooldridge. (2001). “Automated Negotiation: Prospects, Methods and Challenges,” Group Decision and Negotiation 10(2), 199–215.
Keeney, R. L. and H. Raiffa. (1976). Decisions with Multiple Objectives. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Kraus, S. (2001). Strategic Negotiation in Multi-Agent Environments. The MIT Press.
Kraus, S., J. Wilkenfeld, and G. Zlotkin. (1995). “Multi-Agent Negotiation Under Time Constraints,” Artificial Intelligence 2(75), 297–345.
Kraus, S. K. Sycara, and A. Evenchik. (1998). “Reaching Agreements through Argumentation: A Logical Model and Implementation,” Artificial Intelligence 1–2(104), 1–69.
Kreifelts, T. and F. von Martial. (1990). “A Negotiation Framework for Autonomous Agents,” in Proceedings of the 2nd European Workshop on Modeling Autonomous Agents and Multi Agent Worlds. Paris, France.
Kreps, D. and R. Wilson. (1982). “Sequential Equilibria,” Econometrica 50, 863–894, 1982.
Kuwabara, K. and V. R. Lesser. (1989). “Extended Protocol for Multi-Stage Negotiation,” in Proceedings of the 9th Workshop on Distributed Artificial Intelligence. Rosario, Washington.
Lee, L. Chi-Hang. (1996). Negotiation Strategies and their Effect in a Model of Multi-Agent Negotiation. PhD thesis, Department of Computer Science, University of Essex.
Lomuscio, A., M. J. Wooldridge, and N. R. Jennings. (2000). Agent Mediated Electronic Commerce; A European Perspective, Chapter A Classification Scheme for Negotiation in Electronic Commerce. Springer Verlag, 19–34.
Nicosia, F. (1966). Consumer Decision Processes: Marketing and Advertising Implications. Prentice Hall.
Osborne, M. J. and A. Rubinstein. (1994). A Course in Game Theory. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Parsons, S. D. and N. R. Jennings. (1996). “Negotiation Through Argumentation-A Preliminary Report,” in Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Multi-Agent Systems. Kyoto, Japan, 267–274.
Parsons, S., C. Sierra, and N. R. Jennings. (1998). “Agents that Reason and Negotiate by Arguing,” Journal of Logic and Computation 8(3), 261–292.
PersonaLogic: http://www.personalogic.com/.
Priceline: http://www.priceline.com/.
Pricerunner: http://www.pricerunner.com/.
Pricewatch: http://www.pricewatch.com/.
QXL: http://www.qxl.com/.
Rodriguez, J., P. Noriega, C. Sierra, and J. Padget. (1997). “FM96.5 A Java-Based Electronic Auction House,” in Proceedings of 2nd Conference on Practical Applications of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Technology (PAAM). London, UK, 207–224.
Rosenschein, J. S. and G. Zlotkin. (1994). Rules of Encounter: Designing Conventions for Automated Negotiation among Computers. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
Sabater, J., C. Sierra, S. Parsons, and N. R. Jennings. (1999). “Using Multi-Context Systems to Engineer Executable Agents,” in Proceedings of 6th International Workshop on Agent Theories Architectures and Languages (ATAL-99). Orlando, FL, 131–148.
Sandholm, T. (1999). “Distributed Rational Decision Making,” in G. Weiss (ed.), Multiagent Systems: A Modern Introduction to Distributed Artificial Intelligence. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 201–258.
Sierra, C., P. Faratin, and N. R. Jennings. (1997). “A Service-Oriented Negotiation Model Between Autonomous Agents,” in Proceedings of 8th International Workshop on Modelling Autonomous Agents in a Multi-Agent World. Ronneby, Sweden, 17–35.
Sierra, C., N. R. Jennings, P. Noriega, and S. Parsons. (1998). “A Framework for Argumentation-Based Negotiation,” in M. P. Singh, A. Rao, and M. J. Wooldridge (eds.), Intelligent Agents IV (LNAI Volume 1365). Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 177–192.
Sycara, E. P. (1987). Resolving Adversarial Conflicts: An Approach Integrating Case-Based and Analytic Methods. PhD thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA.
Sycara, K. (1988). “Resolving Goal Conflicts via Negotiation,” in T. M. Smith, G. Reid, Mitchell (eds.), Proceedings of 7th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence. St. Paul, MN: Morgan Kaufmann, 245–250.
Sycara, K. (1989). “Argumentation: Planning Other Agents' Plans,” in Proceedings of IJCAI-89. Detroit, MI, 517–523.
Sycara, K. (1991). “Problem Restructuring in Negotiation,” Management Science 37(10).
Tete-a-Tete: http://ecommerce.media.mit.edu/Tete-a-Tete/.
Tohme, F. (1997). “Negotiation and Defeasible Reasons for Choice,” in J. Doyle and R. H. Thomason (eds.), Working Papagers of the AAAI Spring Symposium on Qualitative Preferences in Deliberation and Practical Reasoning. Menlo Park, California, 95–102. American Association for Artificial Intelligence.
Vickrey, W. (1961). “Counterspeculation, Auctions, and Competitive Sealed Tenders,” Journal of Finance 16, 8–37.
Vulkan, N. and N. R. Jennings. (2000). “Efficient Mechanisms for the Supply of Services in Multi-Agent Environments,” International Journal of Decision Support Systems 28(1–2), 5–19.
Wooldridge, M. and N. R. Jennings. (1995). “Intelligent Agents: Theory and Practice,” Knowledge Engineering Review 2(10), 115–152.
Wooldridge, M., S. Bussmann, and M. Klosterberg. (1996). “Production Sequencing as Negotiation,” in Proceedings of 1st International Conference on Practical Applications of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Technology (PAAM'96), 709–726.
Wurman, P. R., M. P. Wellman, and W. E. Walsh. (1998). “The Michigan Internet AuctionBot: A Configurable Auction Server for Human and Software Agents,” in K. P. Sycara and M. J. Wooldridge (eds.), Proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Autonomous Agents (Agents'98), May 9–13. New York: ACM Press, 301–308.
Zeuthen, F. (1930). Problems of Monopoly and Economic Warfare. G. Routledge and Sons.
Zlotkin, G. and J. S. Rosenschein. (1989). “Negotiation and Task Sharing Among Autonomous Agents in Cooperative Domains,” in Proceedings of 11th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 912–917.