Is UTAUT really used or just cited for the sake of it? a systematic review of citations of UTAUT's originating article

Despite the relatively recent emergence of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the originating article has already been cited by a large number of studies, and hence it appears to have become a popular theoretical choice within the field of information system (IS)/information technology (IT) adoption and diffusion. However, as yet there have been no attempts to analyse the reasons for citing the originating article. Such a systematic review of citations may inform researchers and guide appropriate future use of the theory. This paper therefore presents the results of a systematic review of 450 citations of the originating article in an attempt to better understand the reasons for citation, use and adaptations of the theory. Findings revealed that although a large number of studies have cited the originating article since its appearance, only 43 actually utilised the theory or its constructs in their empirical research for examining IS/IT related issues. This chapter also classifies and discusses these citations and explores the limitations of UTAUT use in existing research.