9. Conclusion
This paper addresses the analysis of consumers’ behaviour and sellers’ business strategies on B2C e-commerce systems by developing and applying agent-based modelling and simulation (ABMS). The continuous development in the field of e-commerce requires applications of advanced decision-making tools due to the large amount of data generated. Those tools should be able to process those data to enable easier and more efficient decision-making. An agent-based simulation enables the development of sophisticated models, which includes all relevant factors and key determinates of e-commerce systems behaviour. The simulation model examined in this paper can be used as a tool for evaluation of most common B2C online e-commerce systems. It allows evaluation of consumer behaviour and consequences of different e-business strategies.
The model includes a broad range of impact variables used to model all the relevant aspects of online consumer behaviour. The interactions of agents that make up this model are sublimated in the utility function that provides the basis for decision-making in the model. A careful choice of the utility function components provides for summing up all the key elements that can significantly affect consumers’ attitudes and decisions. Such an approach to consumer behaviour modelling is based on the conceptual model of consumer behaviour established on research and theoretical grounds provided by a body of research in the areas of marketing, psychology, philosophy, management, economics and other related disciplines.
