A Critical Review of Theory of Planned Behavior in Knowledge Payment

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a widely applied theoretical framework for predicting individual intentions and behaviors. However, its application in the knowledge payment domain remains limited. Existing studies primarily focus on TPB’s three core constructs while overlooking emerging factors. Additionally, most studies rely on quantitative methods, particularly cross-sectional surveys, lacking longitudinal and experimental research, which may result in an incomplete understanding of consumer knowledge payment behavior. This study utilizes a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) methodology to thoroughly examine the current research based on the TPB within the domain of knowledge payment. A systematic search method was employed to gather pertinent research from prominent academic databases, accompanied by stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria to guarantee the representativeness and credibility of the chosen literature. Additionally, qualitative content analysis and knowledge mapping techniques were applied to synthesize key findings and identify potential theoretical gaps. The findings suggest that incorporating trust, motivation, and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) can enhance the explanatory power of TPB in knowledge payment research. Moreover, adopting longitudinal studies, experimental designs, and big data analytics can improve the robustness and predictive capabilities of future research. While this study provides a theoretical expansion framework, further empirical validation is required. Future research should integrate interdisciplinary approaches, such as psychology, behavioral economics, and data science, to further enrich TPB's theoretical and practical significance in knowledge payment studies.