Practices and standards in electronic negotiations

Electronic negotiations have become a prominent research topic in the e-commerce realm. However, the support of electronic negotiations in current e-commerce applications is still far from satisfying. In this paper, an overview of negotiation models, theories, and practices is provided. E-Commerce applications are classified and assessed, paying specific attention to the level of negotiation support they provide. The quasistandards that are currently in use are questioned by showing that only very few applications provide the means for electronic negotiations which, however, is a requirement in the business-to-business area.