Cooperative performance and lead firm support in cleaner production adoption: SEM-fsQCA analysis of precision agriculture acceptance in Vietnam

To drive sustainable agricultural development, farmers in developing countries must prioritize adoption of precision agriculture (PA) as a cleaner production practice. This study investigates factors influencing smallholder rice farmers' behavioral intention (BI) to adopt such technology in Vietnam. Data from 568 farmers was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). This study makes a significant contribution to extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) by demonstrating the substantial positive influence of lead firm support on the intention to adopt PA technology. Also, a key novelty of this research is its exploration of the moderating role of cooperatives’ performance in enhancing the effects of external support factors, such as government and lead firms. Additionally, the fsQCA indicates that the combination of strong external support from the government, lead firms, and cooperatives can foster high adoption intentions even under challenging internal facilitating conditions. The findings may be generalized beyond Vietnam to other developing countries to offer insights for policymakers, cooperatives, and lead firms to improve agricultural efficiency and productivity. • Performance expectancy (PE) is the key factor influencing the intention to adopt PA technology. • Internal facilitating conditions (FCs) do not affect the intention, but external support (government, lead firms) does. • Cooperatives significantly moderate the impact of government and lead firm on farmers' intention to adopt PA technology. • Despite unfavorable FCs, mixing lead firms and cooperatives roles with other factors can still boost adoption intention.