Quiet Quitting Across Generations: Psychological and Organizational Factors in Work Withdrawal

Quiet quitting, commonly understood as employees limiting their work efforts to the core duties of their role, has received widespread attention in recent years. While public narratives often portray it as a decline in work ethic among younger workers, emerging research suggests that the behaviour reflects broader motivational and relational influences. Yet, the key predictors shaping quiet quitting remain insufficiently understood. This study therefore examined multiple personal, psychological, and organizational factors associated with quiet quitting and tested whether age moderates these relationships. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 300 full-time and part-time employees (aged 18–68) from diverse sectors and countries. Participants completed validated measures of quiet quitting, perceived organizational support, pay satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, work-life balance, burnout, and turnover intention. Correlational analyses showed that all...Show moreQuiet quitting, commonly understood as employees limiting their work efforts to the core duties of their role, has received widespread attention in recent years. While public narratives often portray it as a decline in work ethic among younger workers, emerging research suggests that the behaviour reflects broader motivational and relational influences. Yet, the key predictors shaping quiet quitting remain insufficiently understood. This study therefore examined multiple personal, psychological, and organizational factors associated with quiet quitting and tested whether age moderates these relationships. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 300 full-time and part-time employees (aged 18–68) from diverse sectors and countries. Participants completed validated measures of quiet quitting, perceived organizational support, pay satisfaction, affective organizational commitment, work-life balance, burnout, and turnover intention. Correlational analyses showed that all predictors were significantly associated with quiet quitting (p < .001); higher quiet quitting was linked to lower organizational support, lower pay satisfaction, lower affective commitment, poorer work-life balance, and higher burnout. In linear regressions, age showed a small but significant negative association with quiet quitting (p < .05), indicating slightly higher disengagement among younger employees. Age moderated only the link between pay satisfaction and quiet quitting, which was stronger among older employees (p < .05). Quiet quitting also predicted higher turnover intention (p < .001). A multivariable regression including all predictors explained 45% of the variance in quiet quitting (R² = .45). Burnout (β = .48, p < .001) and affective organizational commitment (β = –.31, p < .001) emerged as the strongest and only unique predictors. These findings suggest that quiet quitting reflects a multifaceted withdrawal response linked primarily to exhaustion and reduced emotional connection to the organization, rather than a generational trend. To mitigate quiet quitting, it is important that organizations address burnout risk and strengthen supportive and relational aspects of the work environment. Future research should aim to clarify the conceptual boundaries of quiet quitting, including its definition and distinction from related withdrawal behaviours, and examine its development and consequences over time.Show less

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Quiet Quitting Across Generations: Psychological and Organizational Factors in Work Withdrawal