Determinants of Quiet Quitting Behavior in Food and Beverage Businesses: The Mediating Role of Psychological Safety

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to examine the organizational and individual determinants of quiet quitting behavior among employees in food and beverage service enterprises and to empirically test the mediating role of psychological safety in these relationships. Drawing upon Edmondson's Psychological Safety Theory and Blau's Social Exchange Theory, the research investigates the effects of psychological powerlessness, organizational silence, perceived organizational justice, and role ambiguity on quiet quitting behavior within a holistic causal model.
Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted using a quantitative methodological approach. Data were collected from 470 participants working in enterprises operating in provinces with the highest concentration of food and beverage businesses and service intensity in Turkey (Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Antalya, and Muğla). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis, and the mediating role of psychological safety was tested using the bootstrap method.
Results – The findings indicate that psychological powerlessness, organizational silence, and role ambiguity affect quiet quitting behavior positively and significantly; whereas perceived organizational justice and psychological safety affect quiet quitting behavior negatively. Furthermore, it was determined that psychological safety functions as a significant mediating mechanism in the relationships between the aforementioned independent variables and quiet quitting.
Discussion – The findings reveal that quiet quitting behavior is a multi-layered outcome arising from the interaction between organizational structure and psychological climate rather than merely an isolated loss of motivation. By positioning psychological safety as a critical mediating variable, this study provides an original contribution to the organizational behavior literature and offers evidence-based strategic implications for food and beverage enterprise managers to strengthen employee commitment.