FROM BURNOUT TO BOUNDARIES:
WHAT DRIVES QUIET QUITTING IN TODAY’S
WORKFORCE?
Effat Binte Kabir
1*
, Mst. Kaniz Fatama
1
, Rifa Tasha Tayeba
1
,
Nabila Kamal
1
1
Department of HRM, School of Business & Entrepreneurship
Independent University, Bangladesh
Abstract
This research seeks to investigate the factors contributing to quiet quitting and its
effects on modern settings. The ndings aim to help managers and HR professionals
understand the behaviors that lead to quiet quitting, while also providing strategic insights
into handling disengagement and nurturing a workforce that is more resilient, diverse,
and committed. The study’s results indicate that an employee’s personality traits and
understanding of the psychological contract affect their decision to leave, while their job
satisfaction and motivation are shaped by factors such as equity, trust, commitment to the
organization, and appreciation. The present research employs a qualitative exploratory
method to offer in-depth insight into environmental inuences and behavioral tendencies
associated with quiet quitting.
Keywords: Quiet quitting, psychological contract,personality traits, organizational
commitment
Introduction
The idea of “quiet quitting” has recently attracted considerable attention in
organizational behavior research, as it signals a small yet important shift in employee
performance expectations. Quiet quitting denotes a mental disengagement rather than
a physical action like leaving, which is common in regular turnover. People become
disengaged from the company if the company fails to meet the fundamental requirements
specied in the agreement. Nowadays, the most talked-about topic in relation to corporate
culture, performance, and sustainability is quiet quitting, once seen as a sign of marginal
detachment (A, 2025). Two powerful frameworks for comprehending quiet quitting are
personality and the psychological contract.
People’s characteristics affect how they perceive stressors, handle professional issues,
and stay motivated. Individual characteristics determine the likelihood that employees will
engage in quiet quitting. Extraversion and openness are two characteristics associated with
the propensity to work harder. According to Törnroos et al. (2019), neuroticism, on the other
* Corresponding Author: Effat Binte Kabir, E-mail: kabireffatsbe@iub.edu.bd
Independent Business Review, Vol 15, No. 1 | June 2026 8888
hand, increases withdrawal levels and makes people more likely to withdraw. Additionally,
extraverted workers are less likely to experience burnout in stressful circumstances, such as
the pandemic, and are therefore less likely to quietly quit in such situations (Moon et al., 2023).
Angelini et al. (2023) found a similar negative correlation between conscientiousness and
exhaustion, which, in turn, indirectly reduces the likelihood of quietly departing. Furthermore,
low agreeableness and high neuroticism correlate with a heightened risk of burnout, which
precedes withdrawal behaviors, as shown by systematic reviews (Angelini et al., 2023).
Personality serves as a main motivator for employee engagement or passive disengagement,
rather than merely a contributing factor. However, additional factors can also play a role in
quiet quitting, such as implicit agreements or psychological contracts. This study focuses
on quiet quitting as a process of organizational disengagement, given its susceptibility to
personality traits and the ways the psychological contract can either increase or weaken it.
To understand why some people quit their professions and others become devoted, quiet
quitting is placed on the periphery of psychological agreements and personality types,
both of which are recognized as key processes. Consequently, our research emphasizes
the psychological phenomenon of quiet quitting in today’s work environment, while also
providing employers with insights to help them anticipate, understand, and address this
urgent concern.
This paper aims to investigate the relationship between quiet quitting and the Big
Five personality traits. It also examines how various personality traits affect employees’
propensity to engage in quiet quitting behaviors. Finally, it looks at how the psychological
contract- the perceived duties and expectations between employers and employees
inuences employees’ propensity for quiet quitting.
Previous studies have too often investigated personality traits, psychological contracts,
and quiet quitting independently, neglecting their combined impact on employee behavior.
Moreover, most of these studies were quantitative and limited to Western countries, which
may not ll the knowledge gap needed to examine how personality traits, together with the
psychological contract, both relate to and help shape quiet quitting behaviors, particularly
in developing countries like Bangladesh. To obtain a preliminary understanding of
the connection between personality factors, psychological contract, and quiet quitting
practices, this study used a qualitative exploratory approach. Employees from a variety of
professional backgrounds participated in a few semi-structured interviews. These questions
served as a guide for the interviews: (1) if personality affects the desire to take on additional
tasks, (2) if introversion or extroversion impacts the willingness to exceed ofcial tasks,
(3) In comparison to your present experience, how do you see the promises made by your
company throughout the hiring process? Has any disparity affected your willingness to go
above and beyond what is required of you at work? (4) How do you think your employer’s
unfullled expectations inuence your decision to reduce effort?
89From Burnout to Boundaries: What Drives Quiet Quitting in Today’s Workforce? 89
Literature Review
Quiet Quitting
One type of work disengagement that has recently gained signicant attention in the
research on organizational behavior is quietly quitting. According to Patel et al. (2025),
there has been a noticeable shift in how employee involvement has been conceptualized
in recent years. In an effort to maintain ofcial working hours, employees deliberately
minimize the amount of labor they put in to meet the minimum threshold. Maslach and
Leiter’s (2021) description of quiet resignation as a sign of burnout implies that employees
employ it as a coping mechanism to manage the consequences of persistent workplace
demands. The four perspectives-personal traits, technology, organizational citizenship
behavior, and psychological contracts are all crucial elements inuencing quiet quitting
in the modern workplace, even though the idea remains relatively recent. Among these,
personality types have a big inuence on quitting quietly. When someone merely fullls
the bare minimum requirements of their job, they avoid taking on more responsibilities or
making emotional commitments without actually quitting.
Extraversion and Quiet Quitting
Sociability, assertiveness, enthusiasm, and a desire for external stimulation are traits
of extraversion (Costa & McCrae, 1992). Extraverts are motivated by communication and
feelings of gratitude, and they are usually more involved in teamwork. Experiments have
shown that extraversion is a protective factor against disengagement. For example, Moon
et al. (2023) found that extraverted workers were less likely to experience burnout during
the pandemic, thereby reducing the likelihood of disengagement or silent resignation.
Tornroos et al. (2019) found a favorable correlation between extraversion and attitudes about
organizational fairness, which increases discretionary effort and reduces disengagement.
Since quiet quitting frequently necessitates disengagement from the team, extraverts who
value visibility and social recognition are unlikely to be drawn to it. Because extraversion
combines personal motivations with organizational commitment, it reduces the likelihood
of quiet quitting in this situation. According to Costa and McCrae (1992), introversion is
the opposite of extraversion and is characterized by reservedness, lower social stimulation
needs, and a tendency to work alone. Even though introversion isn’t always a bad thing,
stressful work environments can coexist with introversion, leading to disengagement.
When their job or other unfullled expectations stress out an introvert, they may nd it
easy to cope by quietly departing because they do not want to collaborate or argue with
their coworkers.
Conscientiousness and Quiet Quitting
Conscientiousness, dened by self-discipline, organization, dependability, and goal
orientation, is well known as a protective factor against disengagement (Costa & McCrae,
1992). Success, accountability, and a strong sense of duty drive conscientious people.
They are less likely to engage in counterproductive behaviors at work and more likely
to maintain consistent effort, especially in adverse situations. Additionally, Angelini et
al. (2023) found a negative correlation between conscientiousness and burnout, which, in
turn, reduces the likelihood of quiet quitting. Practically speaking, conscientious workers
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may believe that quiet quitting is incompatible with internal performance requirements.
Their strong self-control tends to prevent them from exerting the least amount of effort,
even when they are dissatised. Alternatively, they can discover coping strategies such
as problem-solving, compromise, or task rearrangement. As a result, conscientiousness
provides a strong defense against quiet quitting tendencies.
Neuroticism and Quiet Quitting
According to Costa and McCrae (1992), neuroticism is characterized by a tendency
toward emotional instability, anxiety, moodiness, and elevated stress reactivity. In
demanding work environments, neurotic individuals experience unpleasant emotions
more frequently and are more vulnerable to psychological stress. The most common of
the Big Five traits, neuroticism, is linked to quiet quitting, burnout, stress, and withdrawal
behaviors. Neuroticism has been identied by Angelini et al. (2023) as a signicant
risk factor for occupational burnout, leading to disengagement and silent resignation.
Furthermore, Tornroos et al. (2019) found that neurotic individuals view obstacles rather
than chances in their careers, which exacerbates withdrawal symptoms.
Openness to Experience and Quiet Quitting
Costa and McCrae (1992) dened openness as the ability to innovate, adapt, and gain
experience. Dealing with change, technical improvements, and the needs of innovation
is made easier when there is a high degree of openness. Conversely, when faced with a
unique circumstance or disruptive force, employees with low openness tend to become
disengaged. Uygungil-Erdogan et al. (2025) found a relationship between digital anxiety
and withdrawal intentions, with turnover intentions and quiet quitting serving as a
mediating factor. Openness acts as a barrier to disengagement, as it enables constructive
adjustment, whereas low openness increases the risk of quietly quitting during uncertain
and transitional times.
Agreeableness and Quiet Quitting
According to Costa and McCrae (1992), prosocial conduct, cooperation, empathy,
and trust are all demonstrated by the attribute of agreeableness. Cooperation, support,
and harmonious relationships inspire agreeable individuals. To assist others and preserve
organizational cohesion, individuals are more inclined to participate in organizational
citizenship behaviors (OCBs), including activities beyond their formal job responsibilities.
A lack of agreeableness is associated with lower cooperation, predisposition to conict,
and withdrawal in the context of quiet quitting. Low agreeableness increases burnout and
the likelihood of disengagement when combined with neuroticism (Angelini et al., 2023).
On the other hand, highly likable workers might not be prepared to go peacefully because
disengagement threatens interpersonal trust and group unity.
Psychological Contract and Quiet Quitting
The psychological contract, which reects implicit mutual expectations between
employers and employees, is one of the most important explanatory factors for quiet
quitting. Employees will, in theory, not put in any more discretionary effort if they believe
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that neither their obligation nor their promise was fullled. The relationship between poor
motivation and unfullled expectations is supported by research showing that exhaustion
and agreement violations are structural factors that enhance quiet quitting (Xueyun et
al., 2023). Additionally, it is shown that contract violations demotivate workers and raise
turnover intention outcomes comparable to silent resignation (De Clercq et al., 2024). The
relevance is in the fact that employees’ discretionary effort is based on the psychological
contract, and when they are removed, their effort level drops to a minimum.
Personality
Types
Employee Perceptions & Insights (from
Interviews)
Quiet Quitting Behavior
Psychological
Contract
Figure 1. Conceptual Model Developed from the Study Findings
Methodology
The qualitative exploratory approach investigation drew upon data collected from
16 respondents through interviews and purposive sampling. The respondents ranged in
age from 23 to 52, with the younger adult cohort (early to late twenties) making up the
majority. People in the early stages of their careers made up the majority of the sample, as
the modal age was 27. The sample was fairly balanced in terms of gender, with 7 males
and 9 females. Because both age positioning and gendered outlooks are likely to affect
employees’ experiences with and perceptions of quiet quitting, this demographic makeup
offers a useful background for evaluating the results. The results should be regarded as
preliminary and illustrative rather than generalizable, given the small sample size. The
purpose of this study was to offer conceptual insights and suggest areas for further research
rather than to reach rm conclusions.
Findings & Discussion
Despite the dataset’s limited size, numerous trends were identied that could guide
future research with larger samples. The research reinforces the notion that an individual’s
personality strongly inuences discretionary effort, which is directly associated with the
likelihood of quiet quitting. For example, extroverts frequently volunteer to work longer
hours and in groups because they draw their energy from social interaction and teamwork.
They will view increased work as an opportunity to network and learn, which will reduce
the likelihood that they will quietly resign. As one interviewee has explained:
“Because I am an extrovert, I can communicate and solve any dened problem at work, so
it is okay to persevere through any emergent challenge that may arise.”
On the other hand, introverted employees may be more reluctant to take on unexpected
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tasks and prefer well-organized ones. Again, withdrawal is not necessarily implied by this.
Alternatively, they can put in extra effort in less noticeable ways, such as working overtime
or assisting coworkers covertly. In many situations, establishing boundaries based on
appearances is really more similar to their need for structured work than disengagement.
According to one interviewee,
“Even though I am an introvert, I enjoy working and can put in extra hours.”
Other personality traits that were highly predictive of extra-role conduct included
introversion and extroversion. Workers with high conscientiousness, agreeableness, or
openness to new experiences volunteer for additional work because they feel required to do
so, because they love solving challenges, or because they appreciate their teams. Because
they naturally assume leadership roles, they are less likely to leave their jobs. On the other
hand, people driven by autonomy or recognition may put out less effort if they do not feel
valued.
However, neurotic employees are more likely to quit quietly. The level of perceived
injustice or unfullled commitments at work can be heightened by tendencies to worry,
have self-doubt, and overreact to letdowns. They will therefore most likely detach as a
coping strategy. One respondent expressed this sentiment as follows:
“ I believe that no matter how hard I work, it will never be sufcient. I question why I
should keep working so hard when my efforts do not appear to be appreciated.”
The interviews also revealed that when companies break their commitments, employees
are likely to become frustrated, put in less effort, and resign quietly.
“My drive lowered when I did not get the promised resources since I felt that my efforts
were not valued.”
On the other hand, when organizational practices match employees’ expectations, they
are more likely to feel inspired and involved at work. These results indicate that “quiet
quitting” involves more than simply personal preferences or character traits. Rather, it
largely hinges on how employees perceive the organization’s adherence to or violation of
their psychological contract.
“Motivation is greatly impacted by trust. When there is trust, I believe that my efforts will
be rewarded appropriately, which inspires me to lead and assist others.”
A combination of organizational conditions and personality characteristics can also
account for extra-role activity. Extroverted workers contribute even more successfully
when they work in environments that are encouraging, transparent, and fairly compensated.
In a similar vein, introverted employees might perform better with strict supervision,
unambiguous policies, and suitable incentives. Quiet quitting is typically caused by a
variety of factors, including workplace and personal factors, as well as a loss of enthusiasm.
The ndings suggest that personality traits, fairness, trust, and the completion of the
psychological contract all inuence quiet quitting. This implies that employees’ perceptions
of fairness, reliability, and upholding contracts inuence their decisions to exert more or
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less effort. Therefore, companies that wish to reduce quiet quitting must consider employee
characteristics and workplace behavior when creating engagement initiatives.
Limitations, Future Studies, and Conclusion
The study’s results may not be as applicable due to the limited sample size. Future
research could use larger, more varied samples to investigate the relationship fully. It might
also be benecial to conduct research that monitors these connections over time.
According to earlier studies, the Big Five personality traits provide a strong basis
for understanding why some workers remain engaged while others become disengaged.
Employees’ daily work environments are inuenced by institutional, cultural, and technical
factors, as well as personal preferences, which may lead to subtle disengagement. Therefore,
it is essential to focus on its analysis. This study investigates the relationship between
personality qualities and different psychological contracts, as well as the possibility of
employees disengaging covertly.
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From Burnout to Boundaries: What Drives Quiet Quitting in Today’s Workforce?
