Statistical Analysis of the Digital Divide's Effect on the Entrepreneurial Activities of Farmers in Guangxi, China

Abstract

In the post-pandemic era, facing the ever-changing international situation, China is committed to accelerating the construction of a dual circulation development pattern of domestic and international cycles. It explicitly identifies fostering new forms of rural digital economy and expanding the space for digital services that benefit people as the main tasks. However, not everyone is able to fully enjoy the information dividend brought by information and communication technology, and there is a “digital divide” issue. Based on the UTAUT model, this study divides the digital divide into four independent variables: access divide, online learning ability divide, capability divide, and innovativeness divide. With Chinese farmers in Guangxi as the research subjects, quantitative and qualitative mixed research methods were used, using survey data on the entrepreneurial behavior of Guangxi farmers. According to the research findings, the digital divide has a significant impact on the intention of farmers to engage in content entrepreneurship, with the degree of impact ranked from the lowest to the highest as access divide, online learning ability divide, capability divide, and innovativeness divide. Additionally, the digital divide also has a significant influence on content entrepreneurial behavior, with the degree of impact ranked from the lowest to the highest as access divide, online learning ability divide, capability divide, and innovativeness divide. The intention of farmers for content entrepreneurship plays an intermediary role in their content entrepreneurial behavior. This study enriches the measurement methods of the digital divide, complements the research on farmers’ entrepreneurial behavior, and enhances the theoretical framework of factors influencing entrepreneurial behavior based on the Chinese context.