Understanding Consumers’ Purchase Intention for Online Paid Knowledge: A Customer Value Perspective

Online knowledge platforms have been undergoing a transformation from providing free knowledge to online paid knowledge (OPK). As customers play a key role in the sustainable development and success of the new business model, we focused on the factors that drive consumers’ online knowledge purchase intention. Drawing on the cognitive–affective–conative framework and customer value theory, we propose that consumers rationally evaluate the customer values of OPK in the cognitive stage, followed by generating trust and identification in the affective stage, then leading to a purchase decision. Six factors were extracted from three dimensions of customer value: Functional, emotional, and social values. The hypotheses were tested using survey data obtained from 504 respondents using structural equation modeling. The findings confirm that customer value and identification with the knowledge contributor significantly influence trust in OPK. Trust in OPK and identification with the knowledge contributor both significantly influence purchase intention, whereas trust in the platform neither influences consumers’ trust in OPK nor purchase intention. The findings of this study will help OPK platforms to increase their sales of knowledge products.