Virtual Organization Support through Electronic Institutions and Normative Multi-Agent Systems

Virtual Organization Support through Electronic Institutions and Normative Multi-Agent Systems

Henrique Lopes Cardoso, Ana Paula Rocha, Eugénio Oliveira
ISBN13: 9781599049557|ISBN10: 1599049554|EISBN13: 9781599049564
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59904-955-7.ch025
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MLA

Cardoso, Henrique Lopes, et al. "Virtual Organization Support through Electronic Institutions and Normative Multi-Agent Systems." Virtual Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, edited by Jerzy Kisielnicki, IGI Global, 2008, pp. 379-397. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-955-7.ch025

APA

Cardoso, H. L., Rocha, A. P., & Oliveira, E. (2008). Virtual Organization Support through Electronic Institutions and Normative Multi-Agent Systems. In J. Kisielnicki (Ed.), Virtual Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 379-397). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-955-7.ch025

Chicago

Cardoso, Henrique Lopes, Ana Paula Rocha, and Eugénio Oliveira. "Virtual Organization Support through Electronic Institutions and Normative Multi-Agent Systems." In Virtual Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications, edited by Jerzy Kisielnicki, 379-397. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2008. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-59904-955-7.ch025

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Abstract

The multi-agent system (MAS) paradigm has become a prominent approach in distributed artificial intelligence. Many real-world applications of MAS require ensuring cooperative outcomes in scenarios populated with self-interested agents. Following this concern, a strong research emphasis has been given recently to normative MAS. A major application area of MAS technology is e-business automation, including the establishment and operation of business relationships and the formation of virtual organizations (VOs). One of the key factors influencing the adoption of agent-based approaches in real-world business scenarios is trust. The concept of an electronic institution (EI) has been proposed as a means to provide a regulated and trustable environment, by enforcing norms of behavior and by providing specific services for smooth inter-operability. This chapter exposes our work towards the development of an agent-based EI providing a virtual normative environment that assists and regulates the creation and operation of VOs through contract-related services. It includes a presentation of the EI framework, knowledge representation structures for norms in contracts, and a description of two main institutional services, namely negotiation mediation and contract monitoring.

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