Social Capital, HRM Practices, and Inter-Organisational Collaboration in Nigerian Agricultural Value Chains: A Mixed-Methods Investigation

This study investigates the role of social capital and HRM practices in enabling inter-organisational collaboration within Nigerian agricultural value chains, addressing a significant gap at the intersection of HRM, social capital theory, and agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria's agricultural transformation agenda depends critically on effective collaboration among smallholders, agro-processors, input suppliers, and financial institutions, yet the human resource and relational foundations of such collaboration remain theoretically underdeveloped. The study employs a multi-site mixed-methods design across rice, cassava, and tomato value chains in Kebbi, Benue, and Ebonyi States, representing the North West, North Central, and South East geopolitical zones respectively. Data are collected from 320 chain actors through surveys and from 35 key informant interviews with value chain coordinators, agricultural extension officers, and HR managers in agro-processing firms. Social Capital Theory, Relational View of the Firm, and Strategic HRM theory provide the multi-theoretic foundation. Network analysis, SEM, and grounded qualitative coding are combined methodologically. Findings reveal that bridging social capital, enabled by HR practices emphasising cross-organisational knowledge sharing, collaborative goal-setting, and joint training programmes, is the most powerful driver of value chain coordination effectiveness. Bonding social capital within organisations supports operational reliability but can create inter-organisational insularity when not complemented by bridging mechanisms. Original contributions include a Social Capital-HRM Integration Theory for Value Chains, a Value Chain HRM Practice Index, and a cross-sector replication framework for African agricultural development. Keywords: Social Capital, HRM, Agricultural Value Chains, Inter-Organisational Collaboration, Nigeria.