Employee’s narrative on quiet quitting – a qualitative analysis

Purpose Quiet quitting (QQ) has been around in academic and professional discussions for quite some time. Despite many definitions and reasons for QQ being proposed, no study has systematically undertaken exploratory research on the reasons and behavioral manifestations of employees who QQ. Design/methodology/approach Our study adopted an exploratory qualitative approach to understand the reasons for QQ without any prior judgment. We undertook interviews with 21 employees who have undergone QQ in their careers. Findings The qualitative inquiry brought out the reasons behind QQ. The three major reasons for QQ were identified by thematic analysis: personal, organizational politics and people dynamics. Further, overt and covert behaviors that employees undertake while QQ were framed with this study. Findings are discussed in the framework of existence, relatedness and growth (ERG) theory. Research limitations/implications The theoretical implications include understanding QQ within the purview of ERG theory and the frustrated regression model. Practically, measures to be taken by organizations to mitigate the instances are presented, along with employee suggestions on what measures need to be taken to avoid QQ behaviors of employees. Originality/value This study is a pioneering work on the exploratory understanding of QQ. Empirically validated theory formulation of QQ is developed here for the first time.