Modeling quiet quitting intention among academics: Mediating effect of work addiction and satisfaction

In light of the widespread ramifications of the COVID-19 epidemic, individuals in the workforce across the globe are increasingly acknowledging the imperative of reassessing their personal goals, acknowledging that life involves a broader spectrum of experiences beyond professional endeavors. This study thus aimed to examine the factors (i.e., empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, fairness of rewards, intrinsic motivation, and work engagement on work addiction and job satisfaction) affecting quiet quitting intention among academicians. This study collected data from 629 academicians through an online survey and used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the relationships between these various factors. The findings revealed the significant positive influence of empowering leadership, psychological empowerment, fairness of rewards, intrinsic motivation, and work engagement on work addiction and satisfaction. The findings further revealed a negative but significant effect of work addiction and job satisfaction on academics’ quiet quitting intentions. The study findings may offer valuable insights to assist policymakers and practitioners in focusing on psychological empowerment, fairness of rewards, and intrinsic motivation and work engagement to improve work addiction and satisfaction to reduce quiet quitting intentions in the Chinese academia.