From intention to behavior: the moderating role of IT infrastructure on crowdfunding dynamics

• We investigate the IT infrastructure’s moderating role in the crowdfunding intention-behavior gap. • We use hierarchical multiple linear regression on a sample of 471 Tanzanians. • IT infrastructure moderates the effects of information-sharing intentions on contribution and information-sharing behavior. • IT infrastructure also moderates the effect of contribution intentions on contribution behavior. Crowdfunding has emerged as an alternative financing option, reshaping the funding landscape beyond traditional channels. However, disparities in its adoption between developed and developing economies persist due to challenges such as the “intention-behavior gap,” in which individuals’ intentions to contribute do not always translate into actual contributions. In this study, we draw upon the reasoned action and planned behavior lenses to explore the moderating role of information technology (IT) infrastructure in reducing the aforementioned gap. We employ hierarchical multiple linear regressions to analyze data from 471 survey respondents in Tanzania, a developing economy with growing interest in crowdfunding. We find that IT infrastructure positively moderates the effects of crowdfunding information-sharing intentions on both information-sharing and financial contribution behaviors. However, while IT infrastructure positively moderates the relationship between crowdfunding financial contribution intention and behavior, its moderating effect remains limited on the relationship between financial contribution intention and information sharing behavior. The paper concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.