Autonomous Agents In Multiagent Organizations

Autonomous agents are constantly gaining relevance in economic applications. Autonomy as a characteristic of agents enables flexible behavior in cases of unforeseeable conditions. Multiagent systems research has analyzed various dimensions of autonomous behavior. However, the application of agents in an organizational context requires the actors to apply externally given rules that restrict agent autonomy. While multiagent systems aim at maximum flexibility, economical applications in organizations require stable structures. Multiagent organizations in terms of structured and stable multiagent systems are necessary to successfully link autonomous agents with organizations. Modelling autonomous agents in multiagent organizations requires to include the organizational structure and the operational processes, but also needs to consider the constitutive processes that enable the creation, adaption and dissolution of multiagent organizations. We survey extant literature from distributed artificial intelligence and management science and propose models for organizational structure and procedure of multiagent organizations. The models address new aspects for including autonomous agents in organizations that result from the linkage between both perspectives.