Quality Evaluation Models - High Level Models and Methodologies for Information Systems - page 101

technology is more likely to be adopted the more compatible it is with the particular
requirements of a task (Pagani 2006 ).
In this model, there are three essential components. Technologies are tools used
in task completion. In IS, this refers to hardware, software and data, as well as user
support services. The impact of technology can refer to the impact of a single
component (such as an application) but also to the impact of a whole system. Tasks
are generally understood, in this context, to be the actions that individuals will
perform in order to transform an input into an output. In this model, it is more
important to focus on tasks that require the user to rely on technologies. Finally,
individuals are the essential link in the model. Personal traits of the individuals,
such as personality or affective emotions as well as training and experience, will
determine an effect on his/her use of technology (Goodhue and Thompson 1995 ).
TTF describes the relation that exists between an individual

s decision to adopt a
technology and the extent to which the technology is adequate to perform the task
that the individual needs to complete. This argument is in line with the concept of
perceived usefulness, developed in the TAM. It is based on the same principle: If a
system is deemed useful or adequate to perform a certain task, it has a better
prospect of being used; thus, it becomes an adequate measure of quality and suc-
cess. If the gap between the requirements of a given task and the functionalities of
the technology used to perform that task becomes too large, TTF is reduced. If the
gap is small, and therefore, the technology is adequate, TTF is high (Goodhue and
Thompson 1995 ). However, it is important to note that, unlike the TAM, this model
notes that the system ' is evaluation by users is not just affected by the technology
itself, but also by the task, therefore noting that to deem a system as good or bad, it
is paramount to determine for what purpose individuals are using that system, and
whether it is adequate to that particular objective (Fig. 6.8 ).
TTF will also have a determining effect over performance impact. Not only is
high performance a combination of high ef

'

ciency, effectiveness, and quality, but a

high TTF will also in uence the future perception of the system as useful, which

will lead to it being more used in more of the same type of tasks. In this particular
aspect, feedback constitutes an important part of the model. User experience will
provide other users with positive or negative evaluations, which will affect future
expansion of use or the discarding of the system. On the other hand, users can also
learn with the system and improve it as they use it, improving the TTF as they do so
(Goodhue and Thompson 1995 ).
Besides establishing a relation between decision to use and usefulness, the TTF
model also provides IS developers with guidelines for the design of technology that
will potentiate its ideal levels of

tness (Yu and Yu 2010 ). In that process, there are
eight essential characteristics that the technology or system should aspire to: data
quality, data locatability, authorization to access data, compatibility between sys-
tems, ease of use and training, production timeliness, systems reliability, and
relationship with users (Goodhue and Thompson 1995 ).
The TTF model is closely related to the concept of user performance. The
performance of the user when employing a certain technology is greatly in uenced

by how well that technology fits the task the user needs to complete. Hence, the