The communicative logic of negotiation in B2B e-commerce

Abstract

Negotiation is an important challenge for B2B e-commerce that is hardly supported by current systems. In this paper, we present a short overview of different perspectives on negotiation and describe the ESPRIT project MeMo (Mediating and Monitoring Electronic Commerce) which aims at supporting B2B negotiation. A prototype has been built and tested in the Dutch construction industry. Our aim in this paper is a formal logical analysis of negotiation protocols. Dynamic Deontic Logic is used as a starting point for our model, but, as we argue, some extensions of this framework are necessary. A formal analysis of so-called norm-based negotiation is presented. Some alternative negotiation protocols are discussed as well. © 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers.