Off The Clock (Mentally): Quiet Quitting Experiences Of Gen Z Marketing Professionals

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how workers in the Philippine marketing sector experience quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is a phenomenon in which employees deliberately withdraw effort from work beyond their formal job duties without formally quitting (Karrani et al., 2024). Based on Social Exchange Theory (Homans, 1961), this research understands quiet quitting as a behavioral reaction to perceived imbalances in workplace exchanges. By conducting semi-structured interviews with Gen Z marketing professionals aged 22-28, four key themes emerged: (1) Fading into the Background, explaining quiet quitting behavior as gradual withdrawal through apathy, silence, and absence; (2) Loud Costs and Overlooked Contributions, capturing how workload burdens and employee bullying led to perceptions of unfairness; (3) Relationships as the Enduring Value, highlighting how emotional support and sense of community were pivotal workplace motivators; and (4) Broken Social Contracts and Disproportionate Returns, explaining how changes in workplace dynamics and new responsibilities without recompense or negotiation created disengagement. The research indicated that quiet quitting in such a case is a re-evaluation of the costs and rewards system within a high-pressure, fast-paced, and collaborative industry.