Abstract:
In the process of promoting rural revitalization and the sustainable development of collective economies, cross village joint construction has increasingly become an important approach to overcoming constraints on rural industrial development and the fragmented pattern of small and scattered villages. From the theoretical perspective of New Structural Economics, this study constructs an analytical framework based on comparative advantage, proactive government, and structural advantage. Taking 34 cases of cross village joint construction in Sanming City, Fujian Province, as the research sample, the study first applies Data Envelopment Analysis to evaluate operational performance. It then combines Necessary Condition Analysis with Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis to systematically examine the multidimensional influencing conditions and their interaction mechanisms affecting cross village joint construction performance. The results show that no single condition constitutes a necessary prerequisite for performance improvement. However, institutional design, government support, and linkage strength play persistent and critical roles across different configuration paths. Although resource heterogeneity and innovation capacity are not universally necessary conditions, they can complement core conditions in specific contexts and thereby enhance performance outcomes. Based on the identified configurations, this study further summarizes five configurations into two major types of performance improvement paths. One follows an institution driven logic centered on government leadership and grassroots coordination, while the other follows a resource integration logic that promotes coordinated development through policy supply and leading village guidance. Overall, the performance formation mechanism of cross village joint construction exhibits clear diversity and complementarity. It relies not only on the institutional arrangements and organizational guidance provided by a proactive government, but also on the context specific activation of village level resources and innovation potential. These findings provide multiple feasible pathways and policy relevant insights for enhancing the effectiveness of cross village joint construction in practice.