On the integration of trust with negotiation, argumentation and semantics

Agreement Technologies are needed for autonomous agents to come to mutually acceptable agreements, typically on behalf of humans. These technologies include trust computing, negotiation, argumentation and semantic alignment. In this paper, we identify a number of open questions regarding the integration of computational models and tools for trust computing with negotiation, argumentation and semantic alignment. We consider these questions in general and in the context of applications in open, distributed settings such as the grid and cloud computing. © 2013 Cambridge University Press.This work was partially supported by the Agreement Technology COST action (IC0801). The authors would like to thank for helpful discussions and comments all participants in the panel on >Trust, Argumentation and Semantics> on 16 December 2009, Agia Napa, CyprusPeer Reviewe

The role of trust in the transition from traditional to electronic B2B relationships in agri-food chains

E-business adoption rates in the agri-food sector are rather low, despite the fact that technical barriers have been mostly overcome during the last years and a large number of sophisticated offers are available. However, concerns about trust seem to impede the development of electronic relationships in the agri-food chains as trust is of particular importance in any exchange of agri-food products along the value chain. Drawing on existing research, characteristics and dimensions of trust are initially identified both in traditional and in electronic B2B relationships and a typology of trust is proposed. The aim of the paper is to provide an overview of the implementation and use of trust elements that e-commerce offers dedicated to agri-food sector. This assessment will show the current situation and discuss gaps for further improvement with the objective to facilitate the uptake of e-commerce in agri-food chains

Reputation for complex societies

Reputation, the germ of gossip, is addressed in this chapter as a distributed instrument for social order. In literature, reputation is shown to promote (a) social control in cooperative contexts—like social groups and subgroups—and (b) partner selection in competitive ones, like (e-) markets and industrial districts. Current technology that affects, employs and extends reputation, applied to electronic markets or multi-agent systems, is discussed in light of its theoretical background. In order to compare reputation systems with their original analogue, a social cognitive model of reputation is presented. The application of the model to the theoretical study of norm-abiding behaviour and partner selection are discussed, as well as the refinement and improvement of current reputation technology. The chapter concludes with remarks and ideas for future research.</p

CloudAnchor Smart Contracts

The CloudAnchor platform allows the negotiation of IaaS Cloud resources for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SME), either as resource providers or consumers. This project entails the research, design, and implementation of a solution based on smart contracts, with the goal of permanently recording and managing the contracts on a blockchain network. The usage of smart contracts enables safe contract code execution and raises the level of trust, integrity, and traceability of the platform contracts by keeping the data stored in a decentralised manner. To do so, a method to coordinate and submit transactions to the blockchain network must be implemented. The tests carried out indicate that the solution has been successfully implemented, with contract registration saved in a decentralised and safe manner. As a result, there was an increase in the platform’s execution time, caused by the new transactions made to the blockchain.A plataforma CloudAnchor permite a negociação e contratualização de recursos Cloud do tipo IaaS a pequenas e médias empresas, sejam elas fornecedoras ou clientes. Este trabalho inclui o estudo, projeto e implementação de uma solução baseada em smart contracts, com o objetivo de administrar e registar de forma permanente os contratos celebrados numa rede blockchain. A utilização de smart contracts permite executar o respetivo código de forma segura e aumentar o nível de confiança, integridade e rastreabilidade dos contratos celebrados na plataforma, guardando-os de forma descentralizada. Para tal, é necessário implementar um mecanismo de coordenação e submissão de transações para a rede blockchain. Os testes realizados permitiram concluir que a implementação da solução foi bem sucedida, passando os contratos a ficar guardados de forma descentralizada e segura. Em consequência, verificou-se um aumento do tempo de execução da plataforma provocado pelas novas transações com a blockchain

Reputation

In this chapter, the role of reputation as a distributed instrument for social order is addressed. A short review of the state of the art will show the role of reputation in promoting (a) social control in cooperative contexts - like social groups and subgroups - and (b) partner selection in competitive contexts, like (e-) markets and industrial districts. In the initial section, current mechanisms of reputation - be they applied to electronic markets or MAS - will be shown to have poor theoretical backgrounds, missing almost completely the cognitive and social properties of the phenomenon under study. In the rest of the chapter a social cognitive model of reputation developed in the last decade by some of the authors will be presented. Its simulation-based applications to the theoretical study of norm-abiding behaviour, partner selection and to the refinement and improvement of current reputation mechanisms will be discussed. Final remarks and ideas for future research will conclude the chapte

Globalization and E-Commerce V: Environment and Policy in Brazil

In Brazil, high inflation rates and public policies for local information technology (IT) development encouraged the early adoption of IT, including electronic data interchange (EDI), especially in the banking industry. Starting in the early 1970s, Brazil developed capabilities both in the production and use of information technologies. Mexico and Brazil are the only Latin American countries with substantial IT hardware production. Since inflation control became the highest priority in economic policy in the 1990s, the Brazilian economy has grown at a relatively slow pace compared to historical growth rates. Brazil ranks third in the Americas in GDP value. However, in per capita terms, it falls behind the top five wealthiest countries in Latin America. Education levels increased substantially in the last decade. Primary education is almost universal (95.7%). 78.5% of the population in the secondary education age group is enrolled, compared to less than 60% in 1992. In 2000, investments in telecommunications as a percentage of the GDP were the highest in Latin America. In the last four years, fixed line teledensity doubled while cellular subscribers quintupled. In per capita terms, Brazil is now at the Latin American average, both in fixed lines and cellular phones. In 2000, teledensity was about 23 fixed lines per 100 people, 15% of whom were connected to the Internet. The development of the Internet in Brazil was somewhat similar to the NSF Net program in the United States. The National Research Network (RNP) began to operate a national backbone in 1991. In 1996, the backbone became available for commercial purposes. The government is active in promoting e-commerce diffusion, especially through the e-government initiative. This initiative includes on-line purchasing, government information, tax collection, and other applications. However, government programs lack coordination and resources. The use of the Internet as a business tool is most advanced in information- related sectors such as finance, communications, information services, and other services that can easily be digitized. The banking sector leads e-commerce diffusion, followed by government and retailing. Consumers in countries such as Brazil are increasingly demanding products from Web sites located in their own countries. To succeed in the Brazilian e-commerce market, multinational Internet companies need to invest in local content and distribution networks. Although the diffusion of the Internet presents many opportunities for social development, notably in the fields of education, health, and information, the future growth of e-commerce in Brazil may be limited by social and economic factors such as income level, income distribution, and education

Becoming rightfully green:how industrial companies legitimate their green brands for their customers?

Abstract. Industrial companies are heavily tied together with environmental sustainability, whether they wanted it or not. Manufacturers and suppliers are both required to adapt for changing environmental regulations that affect their operations. Becoming more sustainable, and meeting environmental legislative minimum requirements is a requirement for staying operational. When most of the companies are forced to slowly become more sustainable, the challenge is trying to stand out from them. While avoiding the stigma of a greenwasher, how can these industrial companies’ brands become rightfully green? Purpose of this study is to find ways how industrial suppliers can legitimate their green brands for their B2B customers. Sustainability issues that are important for consumers, might not be similarly viewed in industrial business-to-business relationships. That is why studying industrial companies in their own ecosystems is important, rather than comparing them directly to consumer markets. In addition, this study aims to integrate literature from sustainable industrial branding, and literature from legitimacy and legitimation which have been scarcely combined with B2B branding. Empirical data of this study was collected from 19 theme interviews. An engine manufacturer was selected as the focal company for this study, and two of its forest machine manufacturer customers were selected representing the customer’s viewpoint. Individual persons were interviewed from multiple roles and departments of these companies varying between product developers, account managers and purchasers, managers, and persons in director roles. From their own industries, studied companies gave a good representation of brands in a journey towards greenness. Based on this study, several physical, non-physical, and mixture of physical and non-physical sources of green brand legitimacy were found. Especially unique findings were elements of nature such as facilities constructed out of wood, and sense of pureness and cleanliness of production facilities. In addition, nine strategies for justifying green brands were identified. These nine strategies were named as the following: rhetoric sustainability, nature elements, mimicking, external validation, certification, project participation, internal acceptance, pureness, and supervision. Findings of this study are relevant for industrial suppliers in their journey of justifying their green brands for their customers

Sustainability in communications content:the frames of handprint in corporate communication and branding

Abstract. Industrial B2B companies are increasingly interested in communicating about their sustainability due to stakeholder interest. However, companies struggle to communicate about their sustainable actions and objectives in a way that is both credible and aligns with their brand. The handprint concept is a novel methodology that can express the positive impact an actor has on environment. It is meant to be a tool for sustainability communication, but so far it has not been explored from the perspective of content formulation. Purpose of this study is to better understand how the handprint can be used as a tool for communication outside of calculation methodology. Aim is to identify how the handprint has been used in industrial corporate communication content to communicate about sustainability. This work uses thematic analysis in order to observe the use of the handprint in industrial corporate communications. Framing theory is used to find out how the content creates certain narratives and perspectives that help the companies to express their contributions to sustainability as well as promote their products and services, all in accordance with the brand image. This work establishes themed message types that B2B companies use to adopt sustainability into their communications content, and further, find three different types of handprint frames: guide towards good, the helping hand and sign of advancement. These frames help to distinguish between company responsibility and creation of solutions, that help stakeholders and customers to meet their sustainability goals. They highlight the company’s achievements and further objectives in sustainability, communicate commitment above a typical market actor. Clearly themed messaging turns vague value statements into concrete solutions, and helps to connect the brand image, product brands, and sustainability in communication. The handprint frames help to illustrate how the concept can be used as a tool for communication in corporate content on multiple platforms

Navigating Complexity in an Internet of Things Era: A Case Study of Entrepreneurial Leadership in a Silicon Valley IoT Startup

Research into the inner-workings of high-tech startups in the field of leadership within the United States is needed. The accelerating impact of technology on society is clear. The Internet of Things (IoT) is a primary technology of an emergent era, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0). Silicon Valley startups germinate many of these Industry 4.0 IoT technologies. The current understanding of leadership in IoT startups is often based on media reports. recounting villains and heroes. This is not that. This is a qualitative, normative case study based on the researcher’s insider status at an IoT startup. Insider case study research into leadership of this type is sparse. Based on a review of the literature, multiple one-on-one interviews were conducted with leaders in an IoT startup. An additional 12 interviews were conducted with leaders in the IoT startup field. This study asks: What does it take to lead an IoT startup in Silicon Valley? The data supported the use of Goffman’s (1959b) dramaturgy as an analytical tool for leadership. The leadership at IoT Inc. took on prescribed roles in formal and informal settings. Bourdieu’s (2020) social capital, habitus, and field concepts are also supported for analyzing IoT startups. The individuals at IoT Inc. used social capital, and exhibited habitus based on experiences and expertise while interacting with the IoT field. Chia’s (2013) process-orientation and application of knowledge types like techne, metis, and phronesis is supported. Leaders in the case study exhibited complexity-based leadership when pursuing opportunities in an environment of constrained resources. The data demonstrated that entrepreneurial leaders with accumulated social capital and habitus, who understand the dramaturgical context of an emergent technology field, can use forms of expert pragmatic knowledge to navigate the complexity in pursuit of a vision

A communicative model for stakeholder consultation: towards a framework for action inquiry in tourism I.T.

A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of BedfordshireThis thesis focuses on an under-researched area of tourism -the multi stakeholder, inter organisational business to business Tourism IT domain which exhibits a marked rate of failure. A critical review of B2B case studies reveals that this failure is in large part due to the primacy afforded to technical problem solving approaches over human centred ones. The main purpose of the research is therefore stated as: "how do we ensure that, as technological solutions are implemented within this domain, due consideration is given to human-centred issues?" In order to tackle this research problem an interdisciplinary approach is taken and a communicative model for stakeholder consultation is developed. At the centre of the model lies an innovative method for deconstructing and reconstructing stakeholder discourse. A Co-operative Inquiry research methodology was used and a significant number of stakeholders were engaged in an Open Space event sponsored by two major Tourism IT companies who wanted to investigate the issues and opportunities connected with travel distribution and technology. This was followed up with face to face interviews and live discussions over the internet. In addition stakeholder discourse was captured via the Travelmole tourism discussion site. The discourse between stakeholders was reconstructed and the normative and objective claims analysed in depth. The presentation of these reconstructions in textual, tabular and diagrammatic formats captures the complexity of stakeholder interactions, revealing that although IT is an important tool, what really lies at the core of multi stakeholder projects are the normative positions to which participants subscribe. The model provided a practical means for critiquing stakeholder discourse, helping to identify stakeholders both involved and affected by the issue; juxtaposing the 'is' against the 'ought'; and enabling critical reflection on the coercive use of power. The review of the tourism literature revealed that these issues are as important in general B2B tourism partnerships as in Tourism IT and in this respect the model provides a practical tool for critique and for enabling the formation of a shared normative infrastructure on which multi stakeholder projects can proceed. In addition, while borrowing from Management Science, this thesis also makes a contribution to it, specifically in the area of boundary critique, through the way in which Habermas' ideal speech criteria arc practically implemented