Norms in distributed organizations

Abstract

Due to external requirements we cannot always construct a centralized organization, but have to construct one that is distributed. A distributed organization is a network of organizations which can locally observe and control the environment. In this paper we analyze how norms can be enforced through the joint effort of the individual local organizations. Norm violations are detected by monitoring. Sanctioning compensates the violations of norms. The main problem is to map the required data for monitoring, and the required control capabilities for sanctioning, to the local observe/control capabilities of organizations. Our investigation focuses on exploring the solution space of this problem, the properties of proper solutions and practical considerations when developing a solution. © 2014 Springer International Publishing.