Employees’ Engagement, Innovative Practices and Performance

This study examined employees’ engagement, innovative practices, and performance in manufacturing firms across the five congressional districts in the Province of Iloilo for the year 2025. Employees were selected through stratified random sampling to ensure fair representation. A researcher-made questionnaire adopted from various relevant literature, validated using Good and Scates criteria and pilot-tested for reliability, served as the primary instrument. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s r in SPSS at a 0.05 alpha level. Findings revealed that employees demonstrated high engagement, regularly practiced innovative behaviors, and consistently delivered outstanding performance. Engagement was most evident in confidence in leadership, belief in mission and values, and organizational pride. Innovation was reflected in sustainability advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and digital communication, while performance was highlighted by ethical standards, effective communication, and goal-setting. Differences in engagement were not significant across demographics, while innovative practices varied by position and tenure, and performance differed only by position. Correlation analysis confirmed significant relationships among engagement, innovation, and performance, underscoring their interconnected role in workplace success. Conclusions indicated that Iloilo’s manufacturing workforce was largely composed of older employees and high school graduates, distributed across managerial, supervisory, and rank-and-file roles. Employees consistently showed dedication, creativity, and professionalism, with leaders and newer employees displaying stronger innovation and performance. Recommendations encouraged stakeholders to strengthen leadership development, workforce training, sustainability advocacy, and collaboration to sustain competitiveness in Iloilo’s manufacturing sector.