Agent Organization Framework

Abstract

In this chapter we present a framework for multi-agent system design which is based both on human organizational notions and principles for distributed intelligent systems design. The framework elaborates on the idea that notions from the field of organizational design can be used as the basis for the design of distributed intelligent systems. Organizational notions such as task, control, job, operation, management, coordination and organization are framed into an agent organizational framework. A collection of organizational design activities is presented that assists in a task oriented decomposition of the overall task of a system into jobs and the reintegration of jobs using job allocation, coordination mechanisms and organizational structuring. A number of coordination mechanisms have been defined in the organizational design literature. For the scope of this book we concentrate on: Direct Supervision where one individual takes all decisions for the work of others, Mutual Adjustment that achieves coordination by a process of informal communication between agents, and Standardization of Work, Output and Skills.

Three organizational structures are discussed, that coordinate agents and their work: Machine Bureaucracy, Professional Bureaucracy and Adhocracy. The Machine Bureaucracy is task-driven, seeing the organization as a single-purpose structure, which only uses one strategy to execute the overall task. The Professional Bureaucracy is competence-driven, where a part of the organization will first examine a case, match it to predetermined situations and then allocate specialized agents to it. In the Adhocracy the organization is capable of reorganizing its own structure including dynamically changing the work flow, shifting responsibilities and adapting to changing environments. A case study on distributed supply chain management shows the process from task decomposition via organizational design to three multi-agent architectures based on Mintzberg’s organizational structures. This chapter will be published in the International Journal of Human Computer Studies [van Aart, 2004].