Quiet quitting and quiet firing: a silence-based relational framework of employment disengagement

Purpose This paper aims to develop a relational and silence-based framework to explain the interconnected phenomena of quiet quitting and quiet firing, positioning them as reciprocal outcomes of unspoken dissatisfaction in contemporary employment relationships. Design/methodology/approach Adopting a conceptual and integrative approach, the paper synthesizes research from work and organizational psychology, organizational behavior and human resource management, drawing on theories of employee silence, psychological contract, effort-reward imbalance, equity and work engagement. Findings Quiet quitting and quiet firing are theorized as two sides of the same relational breakdown, quiet quitting reflecting employees' defensive withdrawal of discretionary effort, quiet firing reflecting managerial or organizational withdrawal of communication, support and responsibility. These dynamics mutually reinforce one another through silence and avoidance, generating prolonged disengagement and inefficiency. Practical implications The framework highlights the importance of transparent communication, psychologically safe climates and equitable human resources systems in preventing silent disengagement. Managers require relational and communicative competencies to address dissatisfaction explicitly rather than indirectly. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is among the first to theorize quiet quitting and quiet firing jointly within a unified relational-silence framework, extending employee silence theory by incorporating organizational silence enacted through managerial disengagement.