Document Type : Original Article (Qualitative)
Authors
1
PhD in Business Administration, Department of Business Administration, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2
Master's student of Management Department, Takestan Institute of Higher Education, Qazvin, Iran.
3
Assistant Professor, Department of Management, Qazvin Branch, Payam Noor University, Qazvin, Iran.
4
Assistant Professor of Management Department, Takestan Institute of Higher Education, Qazvin, Iran.
10.22034/jmep.2026.576839.1627
Abstract
This study aimed to explain the factors contributing to employees’ quiet quitting in public organizations and to propose a conceptual model. Adopting a qualitative approach, this research was designed based on Grounded Theory. Data were collected through 17 semi-structured interviews with employees and managers of public organizations using purposive sampling, continuing until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted using the three-stage coding method (open, axial, and selective) via MAXQDA 10. The findings indicate that quiet quitting is the result of a complex interplay of causal factors, including organizational injustice, inappropriate leadership styles, limited career growth opportunities, and work overload. Contextual factors, such as unfavorable organizational culture and bureaucratic structures, as well as intervening factors, such as employees’ individual traits and the level of social support, also play significant roles. In response to these conditions, employees adopt strategies such as reduced job effort, organizational silence, and a focus on personal interests, leading to outcomes like decreased job satisfaction, burnout, and reduced organizational productivity. These results not only contribute to theory development in organizational behavior and human resource management but also provide a basis for designing managerial policies and strategies to mitigate quiet quitting and enhance employee commitment and motivation in public organizations.
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