The TEDS framework for assessing information systems from a human actors' perspective: Extending and repurposing Taylor's Value‐Added Model

Abstract

Developed in the early 1980s-well before Internet and web-based technologies had arrived-Taylor's ValueAdded Model introduced what is now better known as the human-actors' needs perspective on information systems/information technology (IS/IT) artifacts. Taylor distinguished six top-level criteria that mattered most to human actors when using IS/IT artifacts. We develop this approach further and present the TEDS framework as an analytical instrument for actor-and utilization-specific evaluation of IS/IT artifacts as well as a practical tool for moderating and formulating design specifications. We use the empirical case of a comprehensive comparative professional sports team web site evaluation project to illustrate the power and versatility of the extended analytical framework.

Professional sports teams on the Web: a comparative study employing the information management perspective

“…Taylor's so-called model of value-added processes in information systems, or short, the 'Taylor model' introduced in 1986 by Robert Taylor (Taylor, 1986) appears as one of the most comprehensive instruments for providing guidance to system developers and for assessing existing information systems alike (Scholl et al, 2011). Unlike other approaches, the Taylor model was among the first to employ human-actor-centric or human actor needs-centric approaches rather than systemcentric approaches.…”

“…The first building block of the TEDS framework, the TEDS model, distinguishes six generic categories of principles and criteria for both designing and evaluating information artifacts, which are (1) ease of use, (2) noise reduction, (3) quality, (4) adaptability, (5) performance, and (6) affection (Scholl et al, 2011). These generic categories help analytically break down the characteristics of a professional sports team's website (the 'information artifact') in how it addresses and corresponds to particular generic needs and wants of supporters, fans, and followers.…”

“…For the purpose of our study, we were not interested in a systemcentric evaluation (which would, for example, have measured and compared system performance) but we rather needed to employ an analytical lens and evaluative framework that would enable us to assess the information artifact (in our case, the professional team websites) from a human actor-centric perspective (in our case, professional sports teams' websites from a spectator, that is, from supporter, fan, follower, or flâneur perspectives). We selected the TEDS framework that operationalizes the concept of human-actor-centric and needs-centric evaluation of contemporary and interactive information systems in a fine-grained fashion (Scholl et al, 2011). The TEDS framework contains four major building blocks: (1) the TEDS model of generic human-actor-centric categories and subcategories of utilization, which represents an extended version of the original Taylor model, (2) the case-specific personae representing specific (groups of) human actors and their needs, (3) the case-and persona-specific scenarios of action/interaction, and (4) the 13-step TEDS procedure, which systematically guides the evaluation and comparison (Scholl et al, 2011).…”

“…We selected the TEDS framework that operationalizes the concept of human-actor-centric and needs-centric evaluation of contemporary and interactive information systems in a fine-grained fashion (Scholl et al, 2011). The TEDS framework contains four major building blocks: (1) the TEDS model of generic human-actor-centric categories and subcategories of utilization, which represents an extended version of the original Taylor model, (2) the case-specific personae representing specific (groups of) human actors and their needs, (3) the case-and persona-specific scenarios of action/interaction, and (4) the 13-step TEDS procedure, which systematically guides the evaluation and comparison (Scholl et al, 2011).…”

“…In particular, we focus on the elite European soccer teams and compare them to each other, and as a point of reference also to select elite teams of major leagues in North America. For this undertaking we use the analytical Taylor, Eisenberg, Dirks, Scholl (TEDS) framework (Scholl, Eisenberg, Dirks, & Carlson, 2011), which allows for the finegrained analysis of information systems' capabilities and qualities relative to specific human actors' needs and utilization scenarios.…”