Talent Management, Intellectual Capital, Psychological Capital, and Total Quality Management: A Causal Model on Individual Work Performance Among Public Elementary School Teachers

This study aimed to determine the best-fit model of Individual Work Performance (IWP) among public elementary school teachers in the Department of Education Region XII as influenced by Talent Management (TM), Intellectual Capital (IC), Psychological Capital (PsyCap), and Total Quality Management (TQM). A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional predictive-correlational design was employed with 400 public elementary school teachers from the divisions of Sarangani, General Santos City, Koronadal City, and South Cotabato selected through stratified random sampling. Data were gathered using a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s r, multiple regression, path analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). All five constructs were rated Very High. TM, IC, PsyCap, and TQM were significantly related to IWP. In the final structural model, IC was the strongest predictor of IWP (β = .587, p < .001), followed by TQM (β = .280, p < .001) and PsyCap (β = .153, p < .05), whereas TM was not a significant direct predictor (β = -.085, ns). Model 3 demonstrated excellent fit: p = .124, CMIN/DF = 1.302, GFI = .984, CFI = .997, NFI = .989, TLI = .994, RMSEA = .028, and P-close = .949. The findings indicate that teacher performance is best explained by the integration of intellectual resources, quality-oriented management practices, and positive psychological resources. The study provides an evidence-based model for strengthening teacher effectiveness and educational quality in public elementary schools.