Governing Through Responsibility: CSR as an Enabling Condition for Behavioral Alignment in Agri‐Food Supply Chains

ABSTRACT Interorganizational relationships in agri‐food supply chains are marked by strong interdependence and recurrent exposure to behavioral uncertainty. In this context, opportunistic behavior is not an exceptional event, but a persistent risk that can weaken cooperation and disrupt coordination between exchange partners. Although previous research has linked corporate social responsibility (CSR) to relational outcomes and firm performance, CSR has often been approached mainly as a signaling, legitimacy‐oriented, or compliance‐related construct. Less is known about how responsible practices shape expectations and behavior within ongoing buyer–seller relationships. This study addresses this gap by conceptualizing CSR as a set of partner‐perceived responsible practices that operate as observable cues in interorganizational exchange. Rather than treating CSR as a governance mechanism in itself, the study frames it as an enabling condition that supports the operation of relational governance. The argument developed here is that CSR contributes to behavioral alignment through two complementary processes: a normative pathway, whereby responsible practices reinforce shared expectations and directly foster cooperation, and a control‐oriented pathway, whereby CSR strengthens trust, reduces opportunism, and supports cooperation over time. The proposed model is tested using survey data from firms operating in agri‐food supply chains. The results show that CSR has a positive effect on both trust and cooperation. Trust reduces opportunism, opportunism weakens cooperation, and cooperation improves performance. CSR also affects performance indirectly through two relational pathways: a direct cooperation‐based path and a sequential path through trust, opportunism, and cooperation. The stronger indirect effect operates through cooperation, highlighting its central role in translating responsible practices into relational outcomes. These findings extend the understanding of CSR beyond reputational or compliance‐based interpretations. Responsible practices matter not only because they affect how firms are evaluated externally, but also because they shape how partners interpret each other within the exchange. In doing so, CSR helps create the relational conditions under which cooperation can emerge and performance can improve.