Impact of structural dependence on the formation of multi-subject collaborative network for comprehensive land consolidation

Rural decline is a common challenge facing the world, and it is imperative to revitalize the world's countryside. As an essential platform and means to promote rural revitalization, comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) is characterized by diverse governance subjects and a multi-subject collaborative network has been formed in its implementation process. Prior research primarily investigates the role of exogenous mechanisms in shaping multi-subject collaborative relationships, often overlooking endogenous mechanisms, namely the endogenous structural dependence of the multi-subject collaborative network itself. In this study, the research dimensions and levels of the CLC multi-subject collaborative network were combed out, and the influence mechanism of structural dependence on the formation of this network was analyzed. Taking the CLC pilot projects in 11 counties (cities and districts) in Hubei Province, China, as study cases, this study empirically examined the impact of structural dependence on forming the CLC multi-subject collaborative network using the exponential random graph model. The results show that the formation of the CLC multi-subject collaborative network was significantly influenced by endogenous mechanisms, such as reciprocal and triangular structures, and exhibited prominent path-dependent characteristics. In addition, structural dependence significantly weakened the influence effect of exogenous mechanisms, and ignoring endogenous mechanisms led to a decrease in the interpretability and credibility of exogenous mechanisms. Based on these findings, this study puts forward corresponding policy recommendations. This study provides theoretical insights and decision-making references for promoting effective collaboration among multiple subjects and enhancing the effectiveness of CLC. It also provides China’s experience and reference for other developing countries to establish a multi-subject collaboration model for land consolidation.