Factors affecting collaboration in agricultural supply chain: A case study in the North Central region of Vietnam

Based on three fundamental theories, commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing, transaction cost theory, and force field theory, this study has examined the factors affecting collaboration in the agricultural supply chain in the North Central region of Vietnam by analyzing EFA, CFA, and SEM. The research results have shown that trust and commitment are two important antecedents of collaboration, and they have a positive effect on collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. Risk has a negative effect on collaboration and is explained based on the concept of understanding the nature of risk and the characteristics of the research context. The dark side of collaboration is opportunistic behavior, testing the influence of this factor and concluding that it is necessary to limit opportunistic behavior to enhance collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. It is shown that there is a difference in the level of collaboration among specific agricultural sectors in the North Central region, in which collaboration in cultivation and livestock sectors has a low level, but in aquaculture, it is higher. Similarly, contractual relationships are essential for promoting collaboration in the agricultural supply chain. From these research results, the study has proposed some practical solutions to increase collaborations in the agricultural supply chain in the North Central region of Vietnam.