Assessing Stakeholders' Intention to Participate in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

Abstract

The hottest topic globally which focuses in the Southeast Asian regions is the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects. At present, the implementation of the BRI initiative focuses mainly on the macro-level involving geopolitical strategy, economic spillovers, and debt sustainability. It is assumed that at the macro-level stakeholders are willing to engage in this initiative. The macro-level view has limited insight into the micro-level behavioural mechanisms. To ensure an accurate acceptance of this initiative it is better to combine both macro and micro-level involvement to examine the determinants of stakeholders' behavioural intention to participate in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects. This is done by integrating key constructs of performance expectancy and effort expectancy from the technology adoption theory with the moderating role of trust. As this study follows a quantitative research design, a survey was conducted to collect data from relevant stakeholders involved in or familiar with BRI-related. The findings of this study will contribute to current research by establishing the role of trust as not only a direct determinant but also a boundary condition influencing the key adoption factors in this initiative.  From the standpoint of the findings policymakers and institutions should prioritise trust-building mechanisms such as transparency alongside improving the project benefits. By fostering transparency, consistency, and long-term commitment, stakeholders' participation in BRI projects can be further enhanced, thereby supporting the sustainability and success of the initiative.