Quiet Quitting and a Pathway to Better Work

This white paper explores the concept of "quiet quitting" and its implications for the modern workplace. It argues that quiet quitting is fundamentally about a loss of intrinsic motivation rather than laziness or minimal effort.

Key points:

1. Quiet quitting is related to disengagement, stemming from a lack of appropriate resources and support in the face of work demands.
2. The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped worker expectations, particularly regarding work-time control and work-life balance.
3. There's a disconnect between organizational leaders' desire to return to pre-pandemic work norms and workers' new expectations.
4. Managers face conflicting pressures from both leadership and employees, creating a challenging work environment.
5. The paper proposes a focus on satisfying workers' basic needs to restore intrinsic motivation and increase productivity.

Dr. Cristina Banks concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding the Performance = f(Ability X Motivation) equation in human resource management. She suggests that by directly addressing workers' needs and removing performance barriers, organizations can create a win-win situation that aligns worker and employer objectives.