Quiet quitting in Finnish working life - An interview study for exploring the views of the working life experts on the phenomenon of quiet quitting in Finland

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Journal Title

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Volume Title

School of Business | Master's thesis

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Date

2024

Department

Johtamisen laitos

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

mib

Language

en

Pages

74 + 11

Series

Abstract

Working life is undergoing an accelerating transformation, which challenges the well-being and engagement of employees. In the post-pandemic working life, a novel work-related concept called quiet quitting has emerged. Due to the novelty of the phenomenon, research on quiet quitting is limited, particularly in Finland. To contribute the understanding of the phenomenon of quiet quitting in the context of Finnish working life, this study was conducted exploring the Finnish working life experts’ views on the definition, occurrence, causes and consequences of phenomenon of quiet quitting in Finland. This study was conducted as a qualitative study and the data of this study was collected by semi-structured interviews during spring 2024. Six Finnish working life experts, who have insights into new work-related phenomena and trends in Finnish working life through their jobs, participated in this study, and the method used was individual interview. The data from interviews was analyzed with data-driven content analysis. The findings of this study indicate that Finnish working life experts have various views of the phenomenon of quiet quitting. While some of them see quiet quitting as an opportunity to awake discussion about more sustainable and healthier working life in Finland, others express concerns about the impact of quiet quitting on work productivity, costs, and employee well-being. Quiet quitting was seen to occur to some extent in Finnish working life although it was considered as an old phenomenon. The findings of this study align with the self-determination theory, social exchange theory and job demands-resources model that are useful in understanding the causes of the phenomenon of quiet quitting. Contrary to popular belief, the Finnish working life experts viewed that quiet quitting may also have positive consequences for organizations. The findings of this study highlight the importance of understanding the underlying causes and consequences of quiet quitting as they may provide Finnish organizations insights into creating a more sustainable and healthier working life in Finland. Therefore, it is essential to continue studying the phenomenon of quiet quitting in Finland with both qualitative and quantitative research methods in the future.

Description

Thesis advisor

Diehl, Marjo-Riitta

Keywords

quiet quitting, employee engagement, employee well-being, work-life balance

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Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202408185431

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[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ