Examining E-Commerce Adoption in Farmer Entrepreneurship and the Role of Social Networks: Data from China

Ying Song (), Lu Li (), Stavros Sindakis (), Sakshi Aggarwal (), Charles Chen () and Saloome Showkat ()
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Ying Song: Dongbei University of Finance & Economics
Lu Li: School of Economics, Chongqing Technology and Business University
Stavros Sindakis: Chongqing Technology and Business University
Sakshi Aggarwal: Institute of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Education for Growth
Charles Chen: University of Phoenix
Saloome Showkat: Institute of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Education for Growth

Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2024, vol. 15, issue 2, No 128, 8290-8326

Abstract: Abstract With better access to e-commerce and its adoption in rural China, farmer entrepreneurship has thrived and released renewed vigor and vitality in rural areas, serving as a reference for global poverty reduction and rural entrepreneurship. This paper probes into the relationship between e-commerce adoption, social networks, and farmer entrepreneurship to find a mechanism of e-commerce to promote farmer entrepreneurship. This research uses household survey data from the Chinese General Social Survey of 2017. The cross-sectional research method with a sample size of 1306 was adopted in this study to establish links between various constructs. This study used secondary data that had already been collected on the subject. In this research, the quantitative secondary data analysis method was applied to numeric data arithmetically analyzed. The findings indicate that, first, e-commerce has significantly boosted farmer entrepreneurship, particularly in less-developed regions, where the effect is slightly more robust (the central and western regions). Second, the size and heterogeneity of social networks partially mediate the relationship between e-commerce adoption and farmers’ entrepreneurial decision-making at the state level. In addition, the current data analysis has not verified the logical relationship between e-commerce adoption, the strength of ties, and farmer entrepreneurship. Thirdly, social network size and heterogeneity have a greater mediation effect than the regional subsample study results. This paper adds to the current theoretical approach about farmer entrepreneurship, e-commerce adoption, their relationship with social network size, heterogeneity, and strength of ties based on the Chinese General Social Survey.

Keywords: E-commerce adoption; Farmer entrepreneurship; Social networks; Agriculture contribution; Rural development; Economic growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1007/s13132-023-01379-6

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