The Evolution Model of and Factors Influencing Digital Villages: Evidence from Guangxi, China

Weiwei Li, Ping Zhang (), Kaixu Zhao, Hua Chen and Sidong Zhao ()
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Weiwei Li: Urban–Rural Construction College, Guangxi Vocational University of Agriculture, Nanning 530007, China
Ping Zhang: College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
Kaixu Zhao: College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an 710127, China
Hua Chen: College of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
Sidong Zhao: School of Architecture, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-26

Abstract: (1) Background: Digitalization is the key to sustainable village development, posing a new challenge for village planning, construction, and governance in all countries. The construction of digital villages is currently in the stage of experimentation and exploration; China is the largest developing country and a pioneer in the digitization of villages. (2) Methods: Based on a combination of the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and GeoDetector, we conducted an empirical study on 70 counties in Guangxi, aiming to analyze the construction level, evolution model, and driving mechanism of digital villages and to provide a basis for decisions on government investment and social participation. (3) Results: First, Conspicuous disequilibrium in rural digitalization has manifested in Guangxi, and counties at different levels (leader, follower, and straggler) show significant clustering and correlation effects in their geographical distribution. Second, digital village construction in Guangxi has evolves in diversified modes (divided into four types: star, gazelle, cow, and dog), with hot and cold areas forming a center–periphery structure. Third, rural digitalization has a very complex driving mechanism, with high heterogeneity in the direct influencing factors, significant synergistic enhancement of factors, and nonlinear enhancement dominating the interaction’s relationship. (4) Conclusions: According to the results of analysis, we suggest highlighting the government-driven mechanism and regional linkage in the construction of digital villages, formulating differentiated management policies and development plans based on the combination of top-level design and grassroots innovation, establishing joint meetings or development associations and service alliances, and stimulating the enthusiasm of the whole of society, especially farmers and enterprises, in order to achieve rapid and sustainable rural digitalization.

Keywords: smart village; rural digitalization; driving mechanism; policy design; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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