Melvin F. Shakun

Mediator: Towards a Negotiation Support System

MEDIATOR is a negotiation support system (NSS) based onevolutionary systems design (ESD) and database-centered implementation.It supports negotiations by consensus seeking through exchange ofinformation and, where consensus is incomplete, by compromise. Thenegotiation problem is shown --graphically or as relational data inmatrix form-- in three spaces as a mapping from control space to goalspace (and through marginal utility functions) to utility space. Withineach of these spaces the negotiation process is characterized byadaptive change, i.e., mappings of group target and feasible sets bywhich these sets are redefined in seeking a solution characterized by asingle-point intersection between them.This concept is being implemented in MEDIATOR, a data-based micro-mainframeNSS intended to support the players and a human mediator inmulti-player decision situations. Each player employs private andshared database views, using his/her own micro-computer decision supportsystem enhanced with a communications manager to interact with themediator DSS. Sharing of views constitutes exchange of informationwhich can lead towards consensus. The human mediator can supportcompromise, as needed, through use of solution concepts and/orconcession-making procedures in the NSS model base. As a concreteexample, we demonstrate the use of the system for group car buyingdecisions.

Negotiation Processes, Evolutionary Systems Design, and NEGOTIATOR

A negotiation accord is often the result of an intense, laborious, and evolutionary negotiation process. During this process, disputing parties are confronted with goal, judgment, and outcome conflict. This article demonstrates the utility of a conflict resolution framework—Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD)—by using a Negotiation Support System. ESD seeks to guide negotiators to move their individual goals and judgments in such a way as to enhance the chance of achieving a common solution. As illustrated by the use of NEGOTIATOR, a multiattribute utility negotiation support system, we argue that computer mediation can prove to be an effective means to implement the ESD framework.

Decision support systems for semi-structured buying decisions

Abstract Using recent research on evolutionary systems design and on the process of learning preferences in multicriteria decision making, a Decision Support System (DSS) is proposed for semi-structured buying decisions. The general decision process model involves four phases and feedbacks among them: 1. (1) Selecting criteria and an admissible set of alternatives products. 2. (2) Searching for consistency between the decision makers wholistic preference and an analytical model of it. 3. (3) Assesing a compromise preference model. 4. (4) Evaluating the alternative products using the compromise preference model. An illustrative example (purchasing a car) is presented. We conclude with some brief remarks on implementation of the DSS on microcomputers and extension to the case of several decision makers.

Negotiation support systems

Negotiation support systems (NSS) are designed to assist negotiators in reaching mutually satisfactory decisions by providing a means of communication and through analysis of available information. The purpose of this minitrack is to provide a forum for the interchange of ideas, research results, development activities, and applications among academicians and practitioners in the NSS field. Since 1991, this minitrack has gathered a respectable collection of papers in this young yet promising area of research. Collectively, the selected papers in this minitrack continue to offer innovative and thought-provoking research in computer-supported mediation.

Group decision and negotiation support in evolving, nonshared information contexts

Based on evolutionary systems design (ESD), group decision and negotiation support in evolving, nonshared information contexts is discussed. A non-shared information context — one without full information sharing — is associated with what has been loosely called a ‘noncooperative’ context in the group decision and negotiation support systems (GDNSS) literature. Without full information sharing, we have a game with incomplete information that, in general, is evolving. The paper discusses how the GDNSS, MEDIATOR, supports evolution of the group problem representation — a process of consensus seeking (through information sharing, here partial) subject to problem adaptation and restructuring within which compromise is possible.

Compromise, negotiation and group decision

Overview.- Introductory Chapter.- Problems in Behavior under Risk : Individual vs. Group Decision Making.- I / Multicriteria Decision Making and Social Choice.- Risky Buying of Huge Quantities Under Time Pressure and Partial Information.- Main Sources of Inaccurate Determination, Uncertainty and Imprecision in Decision Models.- Inferential Modes in Applying Social Choice Theory.- The True Rule of The Marquis de Condorcet.- II / Game Theory, Cooperation and Negotiation.- Negotiation Procedure in a Coherent Game.- Fairness and Efficiency in the Siting of Public Service Facilities : A Negotiatory Approach.- A Fair Division Process in a Cooperative N-Person Context Where Side-Payments Are Allowed.- Evolutionarily Stable Strategies in the Prisoners Dilemma and Chicken Games.- Cooperation in Finitely Repeated Non-Cooperative Games.- III / Heurictic Systems for Negotiation and Group Decision.- A Redescription of a Negotiation Problem With Decision-Makers Under Pressure.- Generating and Editing Compromise Proposals for Negotiations.- Repeated Negotiation Sessions : A Generalized Gametheoretic Approach.- Conflict Analysis as a Negotiation Support System.- Can a Computer Aid Group Decision Making?.- A Multidimensional Model by a Multiactor System.- Subject and Name Index.

FORMALIZING CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN POLICY MAKING

Conflict and its resolution in the context of policy making is formalized. A conflict is a problem which, as initially defined by a dynamical system, has no feasible solution. Conflict resolution involves redefinition of the system so that for the redefined system there is a solution. The system delivers operational goals to players who exercise controls. The goals are operational expressions of underlying values desired by the players. A goals/values referral process which facilitates redefinition of a system in conflict is formalized. Two applications of conflict resolution are considered. †Work undertaken while author was visiting professor, University of Paris-Dauphine. The author wishes to thank the following members of trie Dauphine-N.Y.U., systems research group for their helpful comments: Alan Checroun, Vidal Cohen and Gerard Levy.

Social-emotional aspects of negotiation

Abstract The negotiation problem representation in evolutionary systems design (Shakun, 1988) is interpreted to include social-emotional as well as task aspects. Controls are actions having task and social-emotional components taken to deliver preferred combinations of task and social-emotional goals. Thus, normative controls (actions) recommended by a group decision and negotiation support system (GDNSS) such as Mediator (Shakun, 1988) can include both task and social-emotional components. We use as controls the categories of social interaction developed by Bales (1950), as well as the interaction rate. We study empirically the relation between these controls and the agreements reached by negotiators in a buyer-seller negotiation. The role of social-emotional interaction in the negotiation process and thus in its support by GDNSS is analytically specified.

Defining a Right Problem in Group Decision and Negotiation: Feeling and Evolutionary Generating Procedures

It is not unusual that decision makers define and solve a wrong problem. Here we develop an operational procedure for defining a “right” or correct problem. A problem may be represented as—a problem representation defining a problem consists of—two evolving hierarchies of relations, as discussed in the article. Rightness in a problem representation requires rightness in these relations which are beliefs held by a decision maker. Operational definition and validation of rightness in these relations, that is, retaining them as correct, is by feeling and by specified evolutionary generating procedures for examining, changing (evolving), and retaining these relations. Based on rightness in these relations, we discuss right group problem definition and solution in the general case where information is not fully shared (nonshared) among individuals in the group. Thus, our work contributes to procedural rationality—how decisions should be or are made—in individual and group decision-making and associated group decision and negotiation support systems (GDNSS).

An ESD Computer Culture for Intercultural Problem Solving and Negotiation

Intercultural problem solving and negotiation involves interaction of two or more cultures. These processes may be formally modeled using the Evolutionary Systems Design (ESD) framework implemented by appropriate computer group support systems (GSS). The ESD/GSS combination provides an ESD computer culture for intercultural problem solving and negotiation in a same place/same time or telework mode. With this, players in a multicultural group can be computer supported in generating and formally representing an evolving common culture (a situational culture) with regard to the specific problem at hand - an intercultural evolving group problem representation and solution. At the same time, the ESD computer culture provides an operational cybernetic/self-organization framework for the empirical study of cultural emergence in a multicultural group. This paper uses and develops work by Shakun (1996b).