Abstract. Problem. Debates continue in Russia regarding the effectiveness of state support for the agro-industrial sector. There is a lack of clarity concerning the comparative impact of different forms of state support on this sector, as well as an understanding of how the mediating influence of management affects various types of state support.Methodology. A unique panel dataset for 2014-2024 (10,503 observations) was used for analysis, employing fixed-effects regression analysis and mediation analysis to assess the impact of different types of support and management quality (measured as the level of institutional trust). Research Results. Management quality has the greatest impact on the level of economic satisfaction of enterprises compared to any other type of state support. The influence of management quality is four to five times higher than that of financial and operational support. Although training itself does not have a significant impact on economic satisfaction, when combined with a high level of management quality, it demonstrates a 56% increase in effectiveness, indicating a potentially significant synergistic effect. Practical Application. Based on the obtained results, the authors recommend shifting the focus of state policy from budget support provision to a policy that emphasizes the need for e-government development, transparency, and cluster-specific institutional development, as this will enhance the economic returns of state support in the agro-industrial sector.

Keywords: management quality, state support, agro-industrial complex, institutional economics, panel regression, Russia.

For citation: Onwusiribe, Ch. N. (2026). Management quality over financial support: evidence from the Russian agro-industrial sector. Scientific Journal "Manager", 1(115), 147–162. EDN: QQXKJC.

About the author: Ch. N. Onwusiribe – postgraduate student; SPIN-code:2424-5474.