Employee quiet quitting behaviours: conceptualization, measure development, and validation

Purpose This study aims to utilize Relational Job Design (RJD) theory and Conservation of Resources (COR) theory to explore the impact of RJD, particularly its key components – job impact (JI) and job contact (JC) – on employees’ quiet quitting (QQ) behavior. It also investigates the role of work alienation (WA) as a mediator and examines whether inclusive leadership (IL) has a moderating effect on these proposed relationships. Design/methodology/approach This paper used paired dyadic surveys to gather data from 166 full-time employees and their immediate supervisors used in service organisations across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study’s moderated mediation model was tested using hierarchical regression and the PROCESS Macro in statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) v.26. Findings The results empirically support our hypotheses: RJD (JI and JC) significantly reduces employees’ feelings of WA, thereby decreasing the likelihood of engaging in QQ behaviours. As expected, the study also revealed that IL acts as a moderator by amplifying the detrimental effects of RJD (JI and JC) on feelings of alienation from one’s work, which in turn decreases the likelihood of engaging in QQ behaviour. Research limitations/implications This study fills a gap in understanding how relational work design and IL jointly influence unfavourable workplace attitudes and behaviours. It offers a foundation for future studies on QQ in diverse cultural and organisational contexts. Practical implications This study provides practical insights for organisations aiming to tackle employee quitting behaviours. Human resource (HR) professionals and leaders should focus on enhancing both JC and JI, while actively fostering IL. These actions are critical for significantly boosting employee engagement, fostering a more motivated and connected workforce and reduce QQ behaviours in the workplace. Social implications Although the data in this study were collected from an organisation with multiple branches across the country, the findings may still have limited generalisability to other organisations or industries. While this paper acknowledges this as a limitation, it also presents an opportunity for future research to explore QQ across diverse cultural and organisational contexts. Larger and more varied samples in future studies could provide deeper insights into the prevalence and drivers of QQ in different workplace environments. Originality/value This study explores the under-researched phenomenon of QQ, revealing how RJD can mitigate these behaviours. It uncovers new psychological mechanisms, offering actionable insights for management strategies to enhance employee commitment and reduce negative behaviours.

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Technological work burnout: conceptualization, measure development and validation

Alhammadi,

Bani-Melhem,

Mohd-Shamsudin

et al. 2024

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PurposeAs workplaces increasingly integrate digital technologies, understanding their impact on employee burnout has become imperative. This paper introduces the Technological Work Burnout Scale (TWBS), an innovative tool developed to measure the influence of technology on workplace burnout.Design/methodology/approachTo bridge the existing gap in this area of study, our research employed Hinkin’s (1998) psychometric methodologies, creating a structured process for developing the TWBS, which included initial item generation, item reduction with reliability estimation, confirmatory factor analysis and tests for both convergent and discriminant validity. By applying these procedures, we validated the scale across various professional settings (in three different samples), ensuring its robustness and applicability in diverse technological work environments.FindingsThe TWBS demonstrates a consistent unidimensional structure, effectively capturing the multifaceted nature of burnout in the digital age.Originality/valueThrough this scale, we provide insights into how technology influences employee well-being and organizational health, offering a valuable tool for organizations to assess and manage the growing issue of technological work burnout. Our study not only enriches the academic understanding of burnout in the context of technological integration in workplaces but also offers practical implications for addressing this critical concern.

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Employee quiet quitting behaviours: conceptualization, measure development, and validation

Cited by 10 publications

References 53 publications

Employee Wellbeing in the United Arab Emirate

Employee Wellbeing in the United Arab Emirate

Quiet quitting behaviours: investigating trigger factors and mitigation strategies through relational job design, work alienation, and inclusive leadership

Technological work burnout: conceptualization, measure development and validation

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