The factors affecting rural residents’ willingness to burden-share costs of local infrastructure supply in developing countries: evidence from China

AbstractRural infrastructure is fundamental to rural development in developing countries. Yet, rural governments endure heavier fiscal constraints than their urban counterparts. Thus, the capacity of rural residents to subsidize infrastructure supply is critical to facilitating provision. While this capability has increased, the willingness of rural inhabitants to absorb cost burdens remains low. However, the factors impacting willingness remains unexamined. This study addresses this deficiency by identifying influencing factors through the lens of “public goods theory.” A field survey of 266 rural Chinese residents is conducted. Results reveal that opinions on affordability are shaped by government policy, perceptions of equitable burden-sharing, and group behavior. Situational cognition plays an important intermediary role in affecting rural residents’ willingness. The “free-rider effect” is also confirmed as a factor. The findings of this study offer strategies for increasing the affordability of rural infrastructure investment in developing countries by raising the pay-for-use willingness of beneficiaries.Keywords: Rural infrastructureaffordabilitywillingness to paytheory of public goodsSEM Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grant [numbers 72201185, 2022].Notes on contributorsWeiling JiangWeiling Jiang is a lecturer in Construction Management at School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University, China. She received her B.Eng. and Ph.D. from Sichuan University. Dr. Jiang focuses her research on risk management in infrastructure investment, and affordability of rural infrastructure.Yangyi FanYangyi Fan is an undergraduate student majoring in construction management at the School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University. He has a strong research interest in rural infrastructure development, and he is good at mathematical modeling.Igor MartekIgor Martek is a Senior Lecturer in in Construction Management at Deakin University, Australia. He earned his PhD in “Enterprise Strategies in International Construction” from the University of Melbourne. He has an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, NSW, and an MA in International Relations from the Australian National University, Canberra. He has worked extensively in industry in evaluating, generating and managing large capital projects in various locations around the world. He has worked in Europe, including Eastern Europe, the Maghreb, Levant, China, Korea, and was managing director, Far East, of a British consultancy firm based in Tokyo, for 10 years. His research interests include the procurement and facilitation of capital projects as an instrument of national competitive strategy, and the competitive behaviors of international construction firms.Huixin QiHuixin Qi is an undergraduate student majoring in construction management at the School of Architecture and Urban-Rural Planning, Sichuan Agricultural University. She is familiar with infrastructure situation in rural areas.Ying LiYing Li is an undergraduate at the School of Business and Tourism, Sichuan Agricultural University, China. She is expert in data analysis.