Mapping the knowledge-consumer behavior nexus: a bibliometric analysis and systematic review

Qin Lingda Tan, Sharizal Hashim, Nor Liza Abdullah, Hafizah Omar Zaki and Zhangwei Zheng ()
Additional contact information
Qin Lingda Tan: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Sharizal Hashim: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Nor Liza Abdullah: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Hafizah Omar Zaki: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
Zhangwei Zheng: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract In an era of sustainability transitions and digital transformation, consumer decisions are increasingly shaped by diverse forms of knowledge. Yet existing research remains fragmented, often narrowly focused on context-specific constructs such as environmental or digital literacy, with limited theoretical integration. To address this gap, this study combines bibliometric analysis of 571 peer-reviewed publications with a systematic review of 108 empirical studies. The bibliometric results reveal accelerating growth, expanding interdisciplinarity, and five dominant thematic clusters, including green behavior, digital trust, and persuasive knowledge cues. The systematic synthesis, guided by the TCCM framework, identifies critical gaps in regional coverage, knowledge conceptualization, and methodological diversity. Three theoretical pathways are distilled—attitudinal, cognitive-processing, and decision-oriented—explaining how knowledge shapes consumer behavior across domains. To enhance conceptual clarity, a two-dimensional framework is proposed, distinguishing between subjective and objective knowledge (cognitive form) and their attitudinal, informational, and decisional roles (functional role), while differentiating knowledge from adjacent constructs such as information, literacy, and belief. The study contributes a more integrated foundation for future research and offers actionable implications for designing knowledge-based strategies that support informed, inclusive, and sustainable consumption.

Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-025-05613-1 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:12:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-025-05613-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05613-1

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Palgrave Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().