Factors Affecting End Users´ Intrinsic Motivation to Use Software

Several research efforts have developed new tools to help end users create effective software. End users will gain benefits from these new tools if they actually adopt and use the systems´ features. Most users are likely to be driven by job productivity; thus, they tend to use known features to complete a task rather than taking time to learn to use new features which could more effectively handle the task. This research proposes to investigate what motivates end users to use new features. Particularly, it focuses on end users´ intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is an internal drive to perform an activity for the sake of enjoyment of the activity itself. Users with intrinsic motivation enjoy exploring and using the new features. Evidence shows that intrinsic motivation can impact users´ software adoption better than extrinsic motivation. For example, game-based software training, which was more interesting and enjoyable, enhanced users´ perceived ease of use and intention to use the software more than traditional lecture-based training. Workplace applications can also be intrinsically motivating. Users who used a menu-based word processing application had greater intrinsic motivation than those using a command-based application. The main research question is how to design software that will encourage users to learn and use new features, that users enjoy to use, and that helps users remain engaged in performing their tasks. To tackle this question, a first step is to identify factors affecting users´ intrinsic motivation to use a computer system. The study´s contribution will be the identification of factors that promote or inhibit end-user programmers´ intrinsic motivation.