Burnout, organizational support, and turnover intention among Gen Z employees: The role of quiet quitting

Abstract

This study investigates Generation Z's job burnout and perceived organizational support, and their impact on turnover intent in Vietnam's labor market, with quiet quitting, job satisfaction, and affective commitment as the spiraling psychological and behavioral mechanisms. Using the Conservation of Resources and Withdrawal Process theories, the study develops a framework to understand how workplace strain and available organizational resources influence employee disengagement and intentions to leave. The study used a structured questionnaire to collect information from 546 Generation Z employees in Vietnam. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that job burnout leads to quiet quitting among employees and decreases their job satisfaction. Perceived organizational support decreases burnout and quiet quitting while enhancing affective commitment. Quiet quitting decreases job satisfaction and affective commitment while increasing turnover intention. Job satisfaction and affective commitment significantly reduce employees' turnover intention. Quiet quitting is especially stressful and indicates workplace strain and organizational burnout while serving as the most significant factor in Generation Z employee retention. The study posits quiet quitting as the most important factor in retaining Generation Z employees and in preventing departures from the youngest labor market. The results provide practices for retaining Generation Z employees and addressing burnout within the organization.