How the Digital Economy Empowers Rural Ecological Governance and Reimagines the Future of Work in China

• In Event: 50620 - Section on Environmental Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 16: Information Technology and the Environment

Abstract

Against the backdrop of rapid global economic and technological change, the digital economy is reshaping work patterns and employment opportunities in rural China, contributing to the broader theme of reimagining the future of work in a tech-driven global economy. This study explores how the digital economy empowers ecological governance and reshapes the future of work using panel data from 286 prefecture-level cities in China from 2011 to 2021.

Through empirical analysis, this study finds that the digital economy has a significant positive impact on rural ecological governance. It reshapes rural governance, production, and employment by improving government efficiency through telework, promoting the green transformation of enterprises via technological monitoring, and creating flexible employment opportunities by upskilling workers. These mechanisms collectively enhance rural ecological governance and highlight the role of digital technology in redefining work patterns. Robustness and endogeneity tests confirm these findings.Furthermore, this study reveals that the effect of the digital economy on rural ecological governance varies across regions, especially in areas with different levels of farmers' income, rural digital infrastructure, and national fiscal decentralization. The positive effect is stronger in regions with lower poverty rates, more pervasive Internet broadband services, and lower fiscal revenues to expenditures.

From a sociological perspective, this study applies the theory of multi-actor collaborative governance to explore how the digital economy reshapes work patterns and social interactions among local governments, enterprises, and rural residents. This research provides new empirical evidence on how the digital economy reshapes work patterns and enhances ecological sustainability in rural areas through multi-actor collaborative governance.These findings offer practical insights for rural ecological governance in China and suggest that digital technology can enhance both work opportunities and ecological sustainability globally.

Keywords:Digital Economy;Rural Ecological Governance;Multi-Actor Collaborative Governance;Work Patterns

Authors

• ZHAO XUAN, Wuhan University

• Lin Wu