Efficiency and flexibility of multi-attribute negotiations-the role of business object frameworks

Business object frameworks play an important role in the field of multi-attribute electronic negotiations. Normally these frameworks are static: once defined, they form the invariable basis for negotiation. We hold that this restricts the flexibility of electronic negotiations and with this their effectiveness and efficiency. In this paper, we discuss conceptual aspects of an application component that enables ´meta-negotiation´ of business object frameworks. As a context for this, we briefly describe an application architecture for electronic negotiations as part of an electronic market. Based on our considerations, we examine the relationship between flexibility, efficiency and effectiveness of multi-attribute negotiations