Does the digitalization of hometowns promote return migrants’ entrepreneurship? Empirical evidence from panel data for China

IF 7.4 2区地球科学 Q1 GEOGRAPHY

Applied Geography Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-29 DOI:10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103855

Jiangbin Yin , Guixiang Yi , Ruiguang Ma , Le Chen , Shuhan Yang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Increased return migration and digitalization have opened up new opportunities for growth in rural areas and narrowed the urban-rural divide. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence regarding the effect of regional digitalization on the entrepreneurship among return migrants. Based on the 2010–2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data and regional digitalization data, we explore the impact of digitalization in hometowns on return migrants' entrepreneurial decisions and its internal mechanism by using a panel modelling approach. we find that the level of digitalization in the hometown is significantly associated with an increased likelihood of returnee entrepreneurship, and the findings are robust, which reflect a potential promoting effect based on our causal identification design. Specifically, regional digitalization is linked to a higher entrepreneurial probability mainly through potential channels of promoting internet use and alleviating financing constraints, while the impact of improving government administration is not tested. The study also finds that the impact of digitalization on returnee entrepreneurship varies across individuals and regions. Our findings have important implications for research and practice on rural entrepreneurship in the digital era.

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家乡数字化是否促进了返乡务工人员创业？来自中国面板数据的经验证据

回流人口和数字化的增加为农村地区的发展提供了新的机遇，缩小了城乡差距。然而，关于区域数字化对返乡农民工创业的影响，目前还缺乏实证证据。基于2010-2018年中国家庭面板研究（China Family Panel Studies， CFPS）数据和区域数字化数据，采用面板建模方法，探讨了数字化对返乡农民工创业决策的影响及其内在机制。研究发现，归国数字化水平与海归创业的可能性显著相关，且结果稳健，反映了基于因果识别设计的潜在促进效应。具体而言，区域数字化主要通过促进互联网使用和缓解融资约束的潜在渠道与更高的创业概率相关联，而改善政府管理的影响尚未得到检验。研究还发现，数字化对海归创业的影响因个人和地区而异。研究结果对数字时代农村创业的研究与实践具有重要启示意义。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Applied Geography GEOGRAPHY-

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

2.00%

发文量

134

期刊介绍： Applied Geography is a journal devoted to the publication of research which utilizes geographic approaches (human, physical, nature-society and GIScience) to resolve human problems that have a spatial dimension. These problems may be related to the assessment, management and allocation of the world physical and/or human resources. The underlying rationale of the journal is that only through a clear understanding of the relevant societal, physical, and coupled natural-humans systems can we resolve such problems. Papers are invited on any theme involving the application of geographical theory and methodology in the resolution of human problems.