Decoding Quiet Quitting: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

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In recent years, the phenomenon of quiet quitting has become a significant topic that caught the attention of scholars and organizations, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread emergence of remote work. Quiet quitting refers to employees disengaging from their jobs by limiting their efforts to the minimum required by their job descriptions, without formally resigning. This thesis conducted a systematic literature review to synthesize existing research on quietquitting, aiming to offer an integrated understanding of its definitions, theoretical underpinnings, antecedents, consequences, organizational interventions, and generational patterns. A total of 85 peer-reviewed studies were selected through a screening process guided by the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The findings reveal the aspects of quiet quitting through the way that this phenomenon is defined, the theoretical frameworks used to explain it, its antecedents, and outcomes on both employees and their organizations. In addition, the findings also reveal the interventions and organizational policy recommendations that were extracted from the literature, offering practical guidance for addressing quiet quitting through leadership development, workplace culture enhancement, and supportive human resources management practices. The review also highlights strong generational patterns, with Millennials and Generation Z identified as more likely to engage in quiet quitting. Finally, this study proposes directions for future scholars who wish to further explore the phenomenon of quiet quitting.