What Drives or Hinders the Adoption of Sustainable Smart Logistics in Rural Areas?—A Mixed-Methods Analysis

Yadong Li, Ning Ding, Tingting Zhao and Maowei Chen ()
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Yadong Li: Department of Economics and Management, Hebei University of Environmental Engineering, Qinhuangdao 066102, China
Ning Ding: Department of Global Convergence, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea
Tingting Zhao: Department of Economics and Management, Hebei University of Environmental Engineering, Qinhuangdao 066102, China
Maowei Chen: Department of Global Convergence, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-28

Abstract: Under the impetus of digital rural development and the rapid advancement of smart logistics, intelligent terminal delivery technologies are gradually expanding into rural areas. This study employs a three-phase mixed research approach to systematically investigate the factors influencing and mechanisms underlying rural residents’ willingness to adopt smart logistics in Hebei Province. In the first phase, grounded theory is employed to identify seven key perceived factors: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, sensitivity to collective evaluation, cultural conservatism, infrastructure quality, facilitating conditions, and technological trust. In the second phase, integrating the TAM and the UTAUT, this study incorporates context-specific variables and conducts empirical analysis using SEM and the bootstrap method on 451 valid questionnaire responses. The results indicate that all factors except infrastructure quality significantly influence adoption willingness, with cultural conservatism exerting a negative effect. In the third phase, fsQCA is applied to identify eight configurations that lead to high adoption willingness, further supplementing and enriching the explanatory power of the SEM results. This research expands the theoretical understanding of smart logistics technology adoption mechanisms in rural areas and offers practical guidance for the promotion and application of related technologies.

Keywords: smart last-mile delivery; rural logistics; technology adoption; grounded theory; SEM; fsQCA (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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