Bright and dark sides: Does collective behavior past participation experience affect participation willingness?

In the process of cultural adaptation from rural to urban areas, it is an essential issue to understand the collective behavior of migrant workers in cross-cultural conflicts. The lack of an effective response to collective behavior not only causes serious physical and psychological damage to migrant workers but also affects the city’s stability and society’s harmony. From the perspective of typology, this study divided collective behavior into two types: positive collective behavior and negative collective behavior. Based on the data of 1925 samples collected through questionnaires from Shenzhen, China, OLS regression and a generalized propensity score were used to investigate the influence of collective behavior participation experience on participation willingness, as well as the moderating and mediating mechanisms of social networks and perceived institutional support. Empirical results demonstrated that different types of participation experience had a positive predictive effect on participation willingness, and participation experience had a more substantial impact on participation willingness in the same direction. Concurrently, the study also found the moderating role of social networks and the mediating role of perceived institutional support between behavior and willingness. This theoretical-oriented empirical study found the mechanisms between collective behavior and willingness. Findings could help deepen the understanding of collective behavior, weaken the negative impact caused by group conflicts, and better maintain the physical and mental health of migrant workers.