A multi-agent system with application in project scheduling

The new economic and social dynamics increase project complexity and makes scheduling problems more difficult, therefore scheduling requires more versatile solutions as Multi Agent Systems (MAS). In this paper the authors analyze the implementation of a Multi-Agent System (MAS) considering two scheduling problems: TCPSP (Time-Constrained Project Scheduling), and RCPSP (Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling). The authors propose an improved BDI (Beliefs, Desires, and Intentions) model and present the first the MAS implementation results in JADE platform.multi-agent architecture, scheduling, project management, BDI architecture, JADE.

Negotiations structures and principles

Tematem artykułu jest proces negocjacji i jego etapy. Na podstawie badań literaturowych, autor przedstawia i opisuje różne modele i podejścia, wskazuje na kluczowe problemy, zwraca uwagę na techniki możliwe do wykorzystywania podczas negocjacji, podkreśla znaczenie właściwego do nich przygotowania, oraz porównuje najbardziej znane w literaturze przedmiotu koncepcje

Representing decision-makers using styles of behavior: an approach designed for group decision support systems

Supporting decision-making processes when the elements of a group are geographically dispersed and on a tight schedule is a complex task. Aiming to support decision-makers anytime and anywhere, Web-based group decision support systems have been studied. However, the limitations in the decision-makers’ interactions associated to this scenario bring new challenges. In this work, we propose a set of behavioral styles from which decision-makers’ intentions can be modelled into agents. The goal is that, besides having agents represent typical preferences of the decision-makers (towards alternatives and criteria), they can also represent their intentions. To do so, we conducted a survey with 64 participants in order to find homogeneous operating values so as to numerically define the proposed behavioral styles in four dimensions. In addition, we also propose a communication model that simulates the dialogues made by decision-makers in face-to-face meetings. We developed a prototype to simulate decision scenarios and found that agents are capable of acting according to the decision-makers’ intentions and fundamentally benefit from different possible behavioral styles, just as a face-to-face meeting benefits from the heterogeneity of its participants.This work was supported by COMPETE Programme (operational programme for competitiveness) within Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043, by National Funds through the FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) within the Projects UID/CEC/00319/2013, UID/EEA/00760/2013, and the Ph.D. grants SFRH/BD/89697/2012 and SFRH/BD/89465/2012 attributed to João Carneiro and Pedro Saraiva, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Offer Strategy Model of Integrative Negotiation for Automated Negotiation Agent: Multiple Equivalent Simultaneous Offers and Argumentation-based Negotiation

Automated negotiation has attracted increasing interest and received phenomenal attention in the area of electronic market (e-market). Most of the studies on the automated negotiation focused on the distributive (zero-sum) negotiation, and their effectiveness is only illustrated in a single-issue negotiation between software agent-to-software agent interaction. In this study, we propose an offer strategy model of integrative negotiation for an automated negotiation agent and focus on software agent-to-human interaction. Our offer strategy model is based on the integrative approach and negotiation theory, which emphasize the importance of exchanging information among negotiators and multi-issue negotiation including package offers helping to achieve an integrative (win-win) outcome. In developing this model, we are incorporating negotiation strategy of argumentation-based negotiation and negotiation tactic of multiple equivalent simultaneous offers as an offer strategy to achieve an integrative (win-win) negotiation outcome. We expect that the result from applying the offer strategy model becomes more attractive and persuasive, thus may increase negotiation outcome satisfaction for both economic measure and social-psychological measure

Negotiation Processes As Sources of (And Solutions To) Interorganizational Conflict

We investigate how structural features of negotiations can affect interaction processes and how negotiations can be not only a solution to, but also a source of, inter-organizational conflict. Principals, agents, and teams face different sets of constraints and opportunities in negotiations. We develop grounded theory detailing how the micro-interactions comprising a negotiation are shaped by the representation structure (principals, agents, or teams) of the parties. In qualitative and quantitative analyses of negotiations carried out by principals, agents, and teams in a laboratory experiment, we find that negotiators’ efforts to manage the constraints and opportunities of their representation structure are reflected in the micro-interactions, the broad improvisations, and the resulting substantive and relational outcomes

Identify and Neutralize Negotiation Tactics and Tricks

Developed and industrialized countries of the world, along with economic, scientific, technological and industrial progress, have also achieved significant progress in the development of the science and technology of negotiation, especially foreign and international negotiations. Nowadays, in international relations, even at the level of simple internal relations with others, it is not enough just to have the right and to be a researcher, but also to know the negotiation strategies and tricks and ways to deal with them, as well as to negotiate the right well and principles. Self and showing the right seat on the negotiating table is a key factor in achieving the goal. Experience teaches us that in front of us in foreign negotiations sit people as negotiators, the vast majority of whom, in addition to their specialized fields, are proficient in the principles, techniques, strategies and tricks of negotiation, which unfortunately Some of them are bad and inappropriate solutions and in some cases, these bad solutions are the cause of strategies in negotiations. It is our duty to confront such negotiators armed with the weapon of negotiation to the highest level of international standards. In this article, we have tried to get acquainted with the solutions of tricks in the negotiation process and to provide ways to deal with these solutions and tricks

Towards Integration of Cognitive Models in Dialogue Management: Designing the Virtual Negotiation Coach Application

This paper presents an approach to flexible and adaptive dialogue management driven by cognitive modelling of human dialogue behaviour. Artificial intelligent agents, based on the ACT-R cognitive architecture, together with human actors are participating in a (meta)cognitive skills training within a negotiation scenario. The agent  employs instance-based learning to decide about its own actions and to reflect on the behaviour of the opponent. We show that task-related actions can be handled by a cognitive agent who is a plausible dialogue partner.  Separating task-related and dialogue control actions enables the application of sophisticated models along with a flexible architecture  in which  various alternative modelling methods can be combined. We evaluated the proposed approach with users assessing  the relative contribution of various factors to the overall usability of a dialogue system. Subjective perception of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction were correlated with various objective performance metrics, e.g. number of (in)appropriate system responses, recovery strategies, and interaction pace. It was observed that the dialogue system usability is determined most by the quality of agreements reached in terms of estimated Pareto optimality, by the user's negotiation strategies selected, and by the quality of system recognition, interpretation and responses. We compared human-human and human-agent performance with respect to the number and quality of agreements reached, estimated cooperativeness level, and frequency of accepted negative outcomes. Evaluation experiments showed promising, consistently positive results throughout the range of the relevant scales

Models of Intragroup Conflict in Management: A Literature Review

The study of intragroup dynamics in management studies views conflict as a contingency process that can benefit or harm a group based of characteristics of the group and context. We review five models of intragroup conflict in management studies. These models include diversity-conflict and behavioral negotiation models that focus primarily on conflict within a group of people; social exchange and transaction cost economics models that focus primarily on conflict within a group of firms; and social dilemma models that focus on conflict in collectives of people, organizations, communities, and generations. The review is constituted by summarizing the insights of each model, foundational papers to each model; the most recent uses and developments of the models in the last decade; the complementarity of these models; and the future research directions