o:9787 Faktors Influencing Career Success in Rural Public Administrations en Abstract: Career success in rural public administrations is increasingly analysed through human capital theory and organisational behaviour, emphasising the interaction between institutional support, individual competences, and organisational culture. In the Republic of Serbia, career advancement in rural local self-governments represents a key factor in improving employment stability and strengthening overall public administration efficiency. This study, based on a survey of 869 employees, examines the factors influencing career success, focusing on the relationship between current career state variables and perceived success, as well as gender-based differences. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression, and the Mann–Whitney U test were applied. The results show that career success is weakly but significantly predicted by collegial support and managerial encouragement, confirming the importance of social and organisational factors. Male respondents reported higher job satisfaction and managerial support, whereas women emphasised autonomy and professional training. Although gender asymmetries persist, interpersonal collaboration and institutional support remain crucial for enhancing motivation, satisfaction, and equitable career growth. The results provide a foundation for developing sustainable human resource strategies and career development policies that improve institutional effectiveness and gender equity across rural administrations Keywords: Career success; influencing factors; rural public administration; gender differences; human capital; institutional support. 2026-06-11T08:01:25.087Z 44 yes 46 Milovan Mirkov Slavica Mandić person Nemanja Lekić person Zoran Pavlović person Jelena Vapa Tankosić Fakultet za ekonomiju i inženjerski menadžment u Novom Sadu person 0000-0001-8062-1154 2025 application/pdf 815880 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:9787 no yes 16 70 1552253 2025-10-01 Journal of Agronomy, Technology and Engineering Management 8 5 1695 1710 2025