Exploring determinants and development paths of rural economy from sustainable common-pool resource governance perspective

Rural economic development is critical to achieving common prosperity and revitalization, with the governance of local common property resources playing a crucial role. This paper explores rural economies’ determinants and development pathways through the lens of sustainable common-pool resource (CPR) governance, integrating the Social-Ecological Systems (SES) framework with complexity theory. Utilizing a mixed-method approach combining Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), the study analyzes 420 field survey data to understand rural economic development mechanisms in China comprehensively. The PLS-SEM results demonstrate that the collective property rights system reform, local leadership, social capital, and collective action significantly contribute to rural economic development. Collective action is a crucial intermediary mechanism, mediating the effects of leadership and social capital on rural economic development. The fsQCA results reveal five distinct development pathways, composed of state-led and self-governance models, with leadership consistently emerging as a central driver of effective resource governance. The findings provide practical tools for policymakers to strategize rural development and contribute to the academic discourse by pioneering symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric (fsQCA) analytical methods in studying rural economic development.