Does Government Embedment Enhance Villagers’ Willingness to Mutually Supervise Rural Residential Land Utilization?

The purpose of this study is to clarify the impact of government embedment on villagers’ willingness to engage in mutual supervision of rural residential land utilization. It also examines the role of local elders’ involvement in this process, with the goal of improving the regulatory framework for rural residential land utilization. The data used in this study are sourced from a field survey of 450 rural households in Sichuan Province, China. Data analysis was conducted using Logit, Probit, and moderation effect models, among others. The results show the following: (1) Organizational Embedment significantly enhances villagers’ willingness to participate in mutual supervision, with government-established regulatory bodies and dedicated management personnel effectively incentivizing oversight participation. (2) Due to social risks in actual supervision, Ideological Embedment fails to effectively stimulate supervisory behavior. (3) The effects of Government Embedment vary significantly across villages in different geographic locations. (4) The involvement of local elders enhances the effectiveness of Government Organizational Embedment, with their role in rural residential land governance leaning more toward practical implementation than conceptual dissemination. The findings of this study are as follows: Against the backdrop of government administrative embedment in rural residential land governance, the involvement of local elders has played a significant role in enhancing effectiveness. Efforts should continue to focus on strengthening organizational oversight of rural residential land utilization, reinforcing communication between the government and villagers, and deepening collaboration with local elders to encourage active villager participation in the supervision and management of rural residential land use.