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The Disquiet of Quiet Quitting: Definitional Clarity, Theoretical Pathways, and Future Research

Solon Magrizos1,2; Lauren E. Aydinliyim3; Dorothea Roumpi4; Caitlin M. Porter5; Jean M. Phillips4; John E. Delery6

1 Birmingham Business School University of Birmingham Birmingham UK · 2 Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Vilnius University Vilnius Lithuania · 3 Zicklin School of Business Baruch College New York New York USA · 4 School of Labor and Employment Relations Pennsylvania State University University Park Pennsylvania USA · 5 Bloch School of Management University of Missouri‐Kansas City Kansas City Missouri USA · 6 Walton College of Business University of Arkansas Fayetteville Arkansas USA

Human Resource Management 2026

ABSTRACT Quiet quitting (QQ) has emerged as a prominent topic in both popular press and academic research, reflecting shifts in employees' engagement, effort allocation, and responses to contemporary work pressures. This review synthesizes findings from 11 papers published in a recent Special Issue on The Disquiet of Quiet Quitting . We integrate conceptual, empirical, and methodological insights from these papers and other recent literature to clarify what QQ is and what it is not. We highlight the multidimensional nature of QQ, distinguishing deliberate and passive forms, reactive versus value‐driven motivations, and variations in scope and behavioral expression. We then propose a 2 × 2 typology of quiet quitters (Protesters, Faders, Boundary Setters, and Indifferent Drifters) constructed along two key dimensions, intentionality and motivational basis, to capture the heterogeneity of behaviors and underlying motives. Finally, we discuss implications for theory, measurement, and practice, emphasizing how QQ signals broader dynamics in employment relationships, including fairness, well‐being, and sustainable engagement, and we identify directions for future research, including longitudinal, multi‐level, and cross‐cultural investigations.

DOI
10.1002/hrm.70061
Volume
65 (4)
Pages
1015-1032
Language
en
Export
BibTeX
Sources
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