Why Gen Z Employees Quietly Disengage at Work, According to New Indonesian Workplace Study
Quiet quitting among Generation Z employees is strongly shaped by leadership style, workload, and employee engagement, according to a 2026 peer-reviewed study conducted by Evita Novilia and colleagues from Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar and UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung. Published in the International Journal of Integrative Sciences, the research examines young workers at local coffee shops in Blitar City, East Java, and explains why many Gen Z employees remain in their jobs while mentally withdrawing from work. The findings matter as businesses across Indonesia and beyond struggle to retain young talent without sacrificing productivity or employee well-being.
Quiet quitting and the Gen Z workforce
Quiet quitting has become a widely discussed workplace phenomenon since 2022, describing employees who do only what their job requires and nothing more. They are physically present but emotionally disengaged. While the term went viral on social media, the behavior reflects deeper issues related to motivation, leadership, and work conditions.
Generation Z, generally defined as those born from 1997 onward, now makes up a growing share of the workforce. This generation places high value on work–life balance, mental health, meaningful work, and supportive leadership. When these expectations are unmet, Gen Z workers may not immediately resign. Instead, they often disengage quietly.
This pattern is especially visible in service industries such as coffee shops, where workloads are intense, resources are limited, and employees are expected to perform emotional labor while serving customers. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) often lack structured human resource systems, making them vulnerable to disengagement among young workers.
How the research was conducted
The study was led by Evita Novilia, S.E., Gleydis Harwida, S.E., Samlatul Izzah, S.E., and Nur Hasan, S.E. from Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar, together with Cepy Nurmalia Wahyuningtias, S.E., M.E. from UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung. It was published in 2026 after data collection in 2025.
The researchers surveyed 130 Generation Z employees working at local coffee shops in Blitar City. All respondents had at least six months of work experience and were directly involved in service operations. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using statistical regression methods to identify relationships between workplace factors and quiet quitting behavior.
The analysis focused on three key factors:
1. Employee engagement, or how emotionally and cognitively connected employees feel to their work
2. Transformational leadership, a leadership style that emphasizes inspiration, support, and personal development
3. Workload, including task volume, time pressure, and mental demands
Key findings explained simply
The study found that quiet quitting among Gen Z employees is not caused by a single factor. Instead, it results from the interaction of personal, leadership, and job-related conditions.
Employee engagement reduces quiet quitting
Employees who feel engaged are significantly less likely to disengage quietly. Higher engagement is associated with enthusiasm, dedication, and a sense of meaning at work. The data show that when engagement increases, quiet quitting decreases.
Transformational leadership makes a difference
Supportive and inspiring leadership plays a critical role. Managers who listen, motivate, and recognize individual needs help reduce employees’ tendency to withdraw. Transformational leadership was found to have a clear negative relationship with quiet quitting.
Heavy workloads increase disengagement
Workload has the opposite effect. Employees who perceive their workload as excessive are more likely to disengage emotionally. Long hours, task overload, and insufficient recovery time push Gen Z workers to protect themselves by doing the bare minimum.
Together, these three factors explain nearly 50 percent of quiet quitting behavior among the surveyed employees, indicating a strong and meaningful relationship.
Why these findings matter
For business owners and managers, especially in the service and SME sectors, the study offers practical insight. Quiet quitting is not a sign of laziness or weak work ethic. It is often a response to unmanaged workloads, lack of support, and low engagement.
For human resource professionals, the findings highlight the importance of leadership development and employee engagement strategies, even in small businesses. Simple actions such as fair scheduling, feedback, and recognition can reduce disengagement.
For policymakers and educators, the research underscores the need to prepare organizations for a generational shift in workplace expectations. Gen Z employees respond better to inclusive leadership and sustainable work systems than to rigid, pressure-driven environments.
Insight from the authors
According to Evita Novilia and her co-authors from Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar, quiet quitting should be understood as a signal rather than a threat. Their analysis shows that employee engagement and leadership act as protective factors, while excessive workload accelerates psychological withdrawal. Managing these elements together is more effective than addressing them in isolation.
Author profiles
Evita Novilia, S.E, Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar
Gleydis Harwida, S.E., Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar
Samlatul Izzah, S.E., Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar
Cepy Nurmalia Wahyuningtias, S.E., M., UIN Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah Tulungagung
Nur Hasan, S.E. , Nahdlatul Ulama University Blitar
Source
Journal article: The Influence of Employee Engagement, Transformational Leadership, and Workload on Quiet Quitting Among Gen Z Employees
Journal: International Journal of Integrative Sciences
Publication year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijis.v5i1.824
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