Impact of Instrumental and Non-Instrumental Gratification on ChatGPT Usage at the Workplace

Abstract

This study examines the impact of instrumental and non-instrumental gratifications on the usage of ChatGPT in workplace settings, focusing on the factors that influence employees' intention to adopt this conversational AI tool. Leveraging the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theory alongside the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this research explores how task-oriented benefits such as productivity and efficiency (instrumental gratification), enjoyment, and personal innovativeness (non-instrumental gratification) drive adoption behaviours. The study also investigates the role of gain with user tendency, which includes satisfaction and individual impact, in shaping the intention to use ChatGPT at work. A quantitative research approach was adopted, with data collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to 200 employees from diverse workplaces. The questionnaire included Likert-scale items to measure perceptions of ChatGPT's utility, ease of use, emotional engagement, and broader impacts on professional performance. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software to identify relationships between the independent variables, instrumental gratification, non-instrumental gratification, and gain with user tendency and the dependent variable, intention to use ChatGPT. Findings indicate that instrumental and non-instrumental gratifications significantly influence employees' intention to use ChatGPT. Moreover, gain with user tendency is critical, enhancing the relationship between gratifications and usage intention. This research contributes to the literature on AI adoption in professional settings by providing a complete understanding of the dual-purpose motivations driving ChatGPT usage.