Is it a tool or a toy? How user’s conception of a system’s purpose affects their experience and use

Abstract The boundary between hedonic and utilitarian information systems has become increasingly blurred during recent years due to the rise of developments such as gamification. Therefore, users may perceive the purpose of the same system differently, ranging from pure utility to pure play. However, in literature that addresses why people adopt and use information systems, the relationship between the users conception of the purpose of the system, and their experience and use of it has not yet been investigated. Therefore, in this study we investigate the interaction effects between users’ utility-fun conceptions of the system and the perceived enjoyment and usefulness from its use, on their post-adoption intentions (continued use, discontinued use, and contribution). We employ survey data collected among users (N = 562) of a gamified crowdsourcing application that represents a system affording both utility and leisure use potential. The results show that the more fun-oriented users conceive the system to be, the more enjoyment affects continued and discontinued use intentions, and the less ease of use affects the continued use intention. Therefore, users’ conceptions of the system prove to be an influential aspect of system use and should particularly be considered when designing modern multi-purposed systems such as gamified information systems.