Organizational performance is key to success, indicating efficiency, reliability, and goal achievement. Oman’s food security depends on the Oman Food Investment Holding Company (O.F.I.C.), which prioritizes organizational success in the complex food investment market. This study examines the complex relationships between leadership styles, corporate culture, and O.F.I.C. staff engagement. Thus, the study sheds light on efficient organizational management in Oman’s complex food processing sector beyond the O.F.I.C. firms are covered in the research of Oman’s food processing sector. The stratified random sampling approach collects data via a carefully developed structured questionnaire. O.F.I.C. personnel from several departments are the target population, reflecting organizational dynamics. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling are used to conclude. This study shows that participative leadership improves Oman’s food processing sector’s organizational performance positively and statistically. Structural equation modeling shows a strong link between leadership styles and organizational effectiveness. It indicates that participative leadership considerably improves organizational performance (β = 0.144, p = 0.004), supporting Hypothesis 1. Participative leadership does not significantly affect employee engagement, rejecting Hypothesis 2 (β = 0.086, p = 0.150). The study supports Hypothesis 3 that employee involvement positively impacts organizational performance (β = 0.289, p < 0.001). This study illuminates O.F.I.C. organizational performance dynamics. In the Oman Food Processing Sector, participatory leadership drives organizational success and provides strategic direction. Context matters at the O.F.I.C., as employee engagement findings show. These insights help us understand corporate management, especially in Oman’s tricky food processing business.