Does social capital influence farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurship? China’s regional evidence

Rural e-commerce promotes the rapid development of the rural economy with advanced digital technology. Digital dividend attracts farmers to participate in rural e-commerce entrepreneurial activities. Using the survey data of Taobao villages in China, this study examines the impact of social capital on farmers’ participation in e-commerce entrepreneurship. The results show that social capital has a positive effect on farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurial behavior. Additionally, different dimensions of social capital have different impacts on farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurship. The impact of social networks and social norms on farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurship is greater than that of social trust and social participation. The higher the educational level of farmers, the more pronounced the influence of social networks on their e-commerce entrepreneurial behavior. Moreover, we find that social capital influences farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurship by enhancing the information capability of farmers. Information capability plays a partial mediating role in the impact of social networks and social norms on farmers’ e-commerce entrepreneurial behavior, and plays a complete mediating role in the impact of social participation. Our study emphasizes farmers’ social capital plays an important role in expanding information channels and promoting farmers’ participation in e-commerce, which provides valuable references for other countries and regions to develop rural e-commerce.