Users or supporters? Understanding motivations and behaviors of museum members

Research into museum membership schemes and their members is limited and
fragmented. This study presents an overview of existing research as a contextual
framework for a study of the motivations and behavior of members of a British
national museum. The paper examines factors such as members’ motives for joining,
their usage of benefits, the value they place on membership, and their feelings
about the host organization. It concludes with advice as to how membership managers
can more effectively manage their own membership organization.