What drives purchase intention in the context of online content services? The moderating role of ethical self-efficacy for online piracy

With the proliferation of online content service industry, understanding the factors affecting consumer intention to purchase online content services has become an important issue for academics and practitioners. While previous research has suggested that consumers’ perceived value and moral judgment are two main factors influencing behavioral intention to purchase online content services, few studies have explored what drives perceived value and if customers’ ethical self-efficacy will moderate the effect of perceived value on purchase intention. Thus, based on the value-based adoption model and previous literature, this study explores the antecedents of perceived value and the moderating effect of ethical self-efficacy for online piracy (ESEOP) on the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention in the context of online content services. Data collected from 124 respondents in Taiwan are tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results indicate that perceived enjoyment, perceived usefulness, perceived fee, and ESEOP have a significant influence on perceived value and that ESEOP can enhance the positive effect of perceived value on purchase intention. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for consumer online content purchase behaviors.

► We explore the factors affecting purchase intention of online content services.
► Perceived value has a positive effect on purchase intention.
► Perceived enjoyment and perceived usefulness positively affect perceived value.
► Perceived fee has a negative effect on perceived value.
► Ethical self-efficacy for online piracy moderates the effect of perceived value on purchase intention.