Risk and opportunity for online purchase intention – A moderated mediation model investigation

•What is the risk and opportunity for online purchase intention?•This study found electronic word-of-mouth plays a fully mediated role between perceived risk and online purchase intention.•Online involvement plays a moderated mediating role in the proposed theoretical model.•Although perceived risk is a risk for online consumers, and is harmful to online purchase intention.•Online operators should turn risks into opportunities for electronic commerce. What is the risk and opportunity for online purchase intention? This study focused on online purchase intention to explore the relationships on the proposed theoretical model for an electronic commerce environment in Taiwan. This study found electronic word-of-mouth plays a fully mediated role between perceived risk and online purchase intention. Online involvement plays a moderated mediating role in the proposed theoretical model. Perceived risk of online purchase intention through electronic word-of-mouth is stronger at low degrees of online involvement than at higher degrees of online involvement for Taiwan’s online consumers. This study concludes online operators might consider encouraging online consumers to participate in online information with a high degree of involvement. Thus, although perceived risk is a risk for online consumers and is harmful to online purchase intention, online operators should turn risks into opportunities for electronic commerce by effectively using the power of online involvement and e-WOM.