Web-based information service adoption: A comparison of the motivational model and the uses and gratifications theory

This study compares two user acceptance theories: the motivational model (MM), and the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory. While MM arises from the field of information systems and the U&G theory was developed in the field of communication, both are focused on explaining user acceptance of information technologies using intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. We discuss the theoretical roots of the two theories, and use partial least squares (PLS) analysis to test each in an empirical setting. A comprehensive comparison of the results is also presented, including a discussion about the relative strengths and weaknesses of each model under both theoretical/research and practical contexts. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.