Influencing factors of villagers' participation in digital management of village affairs in underdeveloped areas——findings from SEM and fsQCA

• The combination of qualitative comparative analysis and system dynamics offers a new perspective. • Complex factors drive the participation of villagers in digital management of village affairs in underdeveloped areas, analyzing the priorities in route selection. • The impact trends and degrees of different factors on villagers' participation in digital management of village affairs in underdeveloped areas are inconsistent. This study examines factors influencing villagers' participation in digital village governance by integrating the SOR, MOA, and TAM frameworks into a composite MOCA-R model. Based on a survey of 591 villagers in underdeveloped areas of Hunan Province and analyzed using SEM and fsQCA, the results show that motivation directly and indirectly (via perceived usefulness and ease of use) promotes participation willingness. While opportunity and ability lack direct effects, they facilitate participation by improving ease of use and reducing perceived risk. Perceived usefulness is the strongest positive predictor, while risk consistently inhibits participation. fsQCA reveals four distinct pathways to high participation: motivation-driven, opportunity-driven, motivation-opportunity stimulated, and motivation-ability enabled. These findings support a tailored intervention approach involving technology, publicity, and training to enhance perceived usefulness, opportunity, and digital ability for sustaining villager engagement.