Examining the intention-behavior gap in consumer switching: the moderating role of switching costs

Purpose This study investigates the gap between switching intentions and actual switching behaviors among customers, addressing a gap in previous research that focused on either intentions or behaviors in isolation. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 376 survey responses from retail bank customers in China were obtained through an online survey and subsequently analyzed using the Macro PROCESS. Findings The results indicate that factors such as reputation, pricing, service failures and competitors’ advertising significantly influence switching intentions. However, only reputation directly impacts actual switching behavior. A notable intention-behavior gap exists, with switching costs moderating this relationship by reducing the likelihood of intentions leading to actual switching. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by incorporating both intentions and behaviors into a single model. It provides new insights into the intention-behavior discrepancy and highlights the moderating role of switching costs, offering a more comprehensive understanding of consumer switching dynamics.