The role of human values in the design of a de facto standard

In this study we demonstrate that taking into account human values in standardization leads to more successful standards in terms of market uptake. We have performed an inductive case study of the classical VCR standards battle. Taking into account human values led to a deeper understanding of the standards battle and of why certain design choices were made and what factors led to a value sensitive design. We show that the VHS standard supported human values better than its competitors Betamax and V2000, which facilitated the success of the VHS standard.