How digital village construction affects to the effectiveness of rural governance? — Research on the NCA and QCA methods

Digital village construction is not only an effective tool to promote rural revitalization and enhance rural development but also provides crucial support for the modernization and transformation of rural governance (RG). This study utilized a mixed-method approach combining necessary condition analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis to analyze the 84 pilot districts of digital village policies in China in groups. A combination of factors influenced RG effectiveness in the context of digital village construction at both the social and technical system levels. Moreover, no single antecedent variable was a necessary factor in influencing RG effectiveness. Instead, seven antecedent variables, when combined, created four configurations that improved RG effectiveness. The analysis of regional heterogeneity revealed significant differences between the types of configurations that enhanced RG effectiveness in western China and those in central and eastern China. By revealing the interactions between factors of digital RG, the results provide insights for further enhancing RG effectiveness in the context of digital rural development.