Quiet quitting during COVID-19: the role of psychological empowerment

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a global sense of "permacrisis," leading to increased disappointment and powerlessness, particularly evident in the rise of "quiet quitting." Quiet quitting, unlike turnover intention, involves performing only the minimum required work. The pandemic exacerbated existing pressures, causing many to re-evaluate their work-life balance and prioritize personal lives over professional self-sacrifice. This phenomenon is particularly concerning in higher education, where lecturers' quiet quitting can significantly impact teaching quality and student learning outcomes. Chinese universities, facing expanding enrollments and increased teaching and research demands, witnessed a surge in lecturers experiencing job burnout and quiet quitting. This study addresses the gap in understanding the factors contributing to quiet quitting among Chinese university lecturers by examining work-related factors and their influence on job burnout, employee well-being, and quiet quitting intention. Prior research highlights the importance of employee well-being and psychological empowerment in influencing positive organizational outcomes like retention and commitment. This study proposes a model to investigate this complex interplay, using Social Exchange Theory (SET) as a theoretical foundation, which emphasizes the reciprocal exchange of resources between employees and their organization.

This study is grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), which posits that social behavior is driven by a cost-benefit analysis, where individuals seek to maximize rewards and minimize costs in their interactions. The theory is applied to examine the reciprocal exchanges between university lecturers and their institutions, focusing on factors like work overload, career development opportunities, pay-for-performance, organizational commitment, and work conditions. Existing research demonstrates the relationships between these work-related factors and employee attitudes and behaviors, including turnover intention and work engagement. However, limited research has explored their impact on job burnout, employee well-being, and specifically, quiet quitting intention, especially within the context of Chinese university lecturers. The literature review explores the dimensions of job burnout (exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy), employee well-being (psychological, physical, and social facets), and the constructs related to work resources and demands in the workplace.

This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional approach using convenience sampling to collect data from 698 Chinese university lecturers. Data was gathered through an online questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale to measure constructs like work overload, perceived career development opportunities, perceived pay-for-performance, affective organizational commitment, work conditions, job burnout, employee well-being, psychological empowerment, and quiet-quitting intention. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis due to its suitability for predictive modeling and smaller sample sizes. Prior to structural model analysis, the study ensured construct reliability (Cronbach's Alpha, Dijkstra-rho, Hensele's composite reliability, AVE), convergent validity (AVE, factor loadings), and discriminant validity (Fornell-Larcker criterion, HTMT) of the measurement scales. Harman's one-factor test and a full collinearity test (VIF) were conducted to address common method variance (CMV) issues and multicollinearity. The model fit was assessed using R² and effect size (f²). Path coefficients (beta), confidence intervals (CI), and p-values were used to test the hypotheses. A post-hoc importance performance matrix analysis (IPMA) was conducted, and multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) using Measurement Invariance of Composite Models (MICOM) was performed to explore group differences based on demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, tenure, income).

The demographic analysis revealed that the sample consisted primarily of lecturers (63.5%) in public universities (65.5%), with most aged 26-45 years, holding Master's (64%) or Doctoral (36%) degrees, and earning between CNY 5000 and CNY 8000 monthly. Reliability and validity analyses confirmed the robustness of the measurement scales. The structural model showed that work overload significantly and positively influenced job burnout (H1A) and negatively impacted employee well-being (H1B). Perceived pay-for-performance negatively influenced job burnout (H3A) and positively influenced employee well-being (H3B). Affective organizational commitment negatively influenced job burnout (H4A) and positively influenced well-being (H4B). Work conditions negatively influenced job burnout (H5A) and positively influenced well-being (H5B). Job burnout positively influenced quiet-quitting intention (H6), while employee well-being negatively influenced it (H7). Hypotheses H2A and H2B (related to perceived career development opportunities) were rejected. Psychological empowerment moderated the relationship between job burnout and quiet-quitting intention (H8) and between employee well-being and quiet-quitting intention (H9). IPMA highlighted job burnout as the most important factor influencing quiet quitting. Multi-group analysis revealed some differences in relationships based on gender, age, tenure, and income.

The findings support the study's hypotheses, revealing a complex interplay between work-related factors, employee well-being, job burnout, and quiet-quitting intention. Work overload emerged as a key driver of job burnout and reduced well-being, highlighting the need for universities to manage workload effectively. The negative relationship between perceived pay-for-performance and job burnout underscores the importance of fair compensation schemes. Strong affective organizational commitment proved protective against burnout, emphasizing the value of fostering a positive organizational culture. Favorable work conditions also played a crucial role in reducing burnout and enhancing well-being. The moderating role of psychological empowerment emphasizes the significance of empowering lecturers to enhance their sense of control and autonomy in the workplace, which can mitigate the negative impacts of job burnout and boost well-being, thereby reducing the likelihood of quiet quitting. The multi-group analysis revealed noteworthy variations across demographic groups, suggesting tailored interventions might be necessary.

This study contributes to the literature by applying SET to understand quiet quitting among Chinese university lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides empirical evidence for the significant influence of work overload, perceived pay-for-performance, organizational commitment, work conditions, and psychological empowerment on job burnout, well-being, and quiet quitting. The findings have practical implications for university administration in designing policies to improve workload management, compensation schemes, organizational culture, and employee empowerment. Future research should explore longitudinal studies, investigate other sectors, and examine the evolving nature of quiet quitting in a post-pandemic context.

The cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality. The convenience sampling might not represent all Chinese university lecturers. The focus on Chinese universities limits the generalizability of findings. The context of the COVID-19 pandemic might influence the results and future studies should consider other contextual factors. The reliance on self-reported data is subject to potential biases.