THE NEXUS OF HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES, SOCIAL BONDS, SUPPLY CHAIN COLLABORATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN REDUCING SUPPLY CHAIN OPPORTUNISTIC BEHAVIOR TENDENCIES

Objective: To investigate the nexus of human resource practices, social bonds, supply chain collaboration, and organizational culture in mitigating opportunistic behavior tendencies in crop seed enterprises supply chains. Theoretical Framework: Study was guided by social exchange and transaction cost economics theories. Supply chain relationships are formed and based on subjective cost-benefit analysis. Further supply chain relationships are formed, shaped and sustained by the goal to minimize transaction costs. Method: The methodology was a survey of crop seed enterprises registered in Kenya as at 2023. It was a census study of 143 enterprises. Quantitative data approach was employed to test relationships among the variables of the study. Primary data was collected from supply chain heads, operations officers or their equivalents in public and private seed companies. Results and Discussion: The findings revealed that uncertainty avoidance culture combined with the other variables, reduces opportunistic behavior significantly while social bonds increase opportunistic behavior significantly and collaboration and human practices increases opportunistic behavior insignificantly. Power distance culture has a significant effect of increasing opportunistic behavior when combined with the three variables while the effect of the other variables is insignificant. Research Implications: The practical implication is that crop seed enterprises should embrace uncertainty avoidance as opposed to power distance culture to reduce opportunistic behavior while minimizing over exposure during social interactions with their partners. Originality/Value: This study contributes to literature by showing the combined effect of four behavioral aspects on opportunistic behavior in supply chains as opposed to independent effect of each variable.