How does collaboration shape supply chain resilience? Evidence from climate-exposed agri-food systems

Purpose This study aims to investigate how supply chain resilience (SCR) emerges in agri-food supply chains under persistent climate stress. It examines the effects of specific supply chain collaboration mechanisms on SCR and evaluates whether entrepreneurial orientation (EO) serves as a behavioural enhancement pathway linking collaboration mechanisms to SCR. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in complex adaptive systems theory, the study adopts a chain-level perspective of resilience. Data were collected from 205 actors across multiple tiers of the Vietnamese smallholder coffee supply chain. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the direct effects of collaboration mechanisms on SCR and the mediating role of EO. Findings Operational collaboration mechanisms, namely information sharing, incentive alignment, decision synchronisation, communication and resource sharing, were positively associated with SCR. EO also had a positive effect on SCR and partially mediated the relationships between selected mechanisms (information sharing, incentive alignment and resource sharing) and SCR. The findings indicated that collaboration enhanced resilience through both operational coordination and behavioural adaptation pathways, while strategic alignment mechanisms showed delayed effects. Research limitations/implications The study is based on cross-sectional, perceptual data from a single commodity and regional context, which may limit generalisability. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and examine diverse supply chain settings to further validate system-level and behavioural mechanisms of resilience. Practical implications Managers and policymakers should prioritise collaboration practices that strengthen information flows, align incentives and enable resource sharing. In parallel, fostering entrepreneurial behaviours among supply chain actors can enhance adaptive responses to climate-related disruptions. Originality/value This study contributes to SCR literature by unpacking collaboration into distinct mechanisms and identifying EO as a behavioural micro-foundation through which resilience emerges at the chain level in fragmented and decentralised supply chains.