Integrative negotiation in complex organizational agent systems

This paper introduces an integrative negotiation mechanism, which enables agents to choose any attitude from the extremes of self-interested and fully cooperative to those that are partially self-interested and partially cooperative. Experimental work verifies this mechanism and explores the question whether it always improves the social welfare to have an agent be completely cooperative. It is found that it is good for the organization to have agents being partially cooperative in their local negotiation with other agents rather than being fully cooperative, in order to deal more effectively with the uncertainty of not having a more informed view of the state of the entire agent organization.