Electronic Negotiation Support Systems and Their Role in Business Communication: an Exploratory Evaluation of Auction Use

Electronic transactions between institutions are constantly evolving. Electronic auctions as B2B coordination mechanisms are now in a post-hype phase, which enables a critical analysis of such electronic negotiation processes in the field. Little do we know about the way interorganisational technologies interact with their institutional and organisational context. In this book, the author draws attention to the interplay of process efficiency, the quality of business relationships and the communicative quality of coordination processes. The latter is a novelty hitherto often disregarded, although a main goal of many business negotiations is to find an understanding of what needs to be done and to commit the parties to this shared understanding - while reaching dedicated goals individually. The use of negotiation support technologies changes the rules of this game.