AN EMPIRICAL STUDY ON MODERATION EFFECT OF PERCEIVED RISK BETWEEN PERCEIVED VALUE AND PURCHASE INTENTION IN JIANGSU’S DIGITAL SERVICE CONSUMPTION, CHINA

Abstract

This study explores the relationships among consumer benefit, perceived value, perceived risk, and purchase intention in the context of Jiangsu Province’s fast-growing digital service in China. Drawing on the Theory of Reasoned Action and The Consumer Decision-Making Process Theory, the research investigates how consumer benefit and perceived value influence consumers’ purchase intentions, and how perceived risk moderates the perceived value–purchase intention relationship. Data were analyzed to assess both measurement and structural models. The empirical results reveal that consumer benefit exerts a significant positive effect on perceived value, and perceived value strongly predicts purchase intention. Importantly, perceived risk negatively moderates the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention, indicating that higher levels of perceived risk weaken the influence of perceived value on consumers’ intention to purchase. These findings highlight that enhancing consumer benefits and reducing perceived risks are critical strategies for digital service providers seeking to strengthen consumers’ purchase intentions. The study offers theoretical contributions by integrating perceived risk as a moderator into the benefit–value–intention framework, and provides practical insights for improving service design and consumer trust in Jiangsu’s digital service.