Exploring Employees’ Quiet Quitting from the Perspectives of Ego Depletion and Information Technology Obsolescence

Quiet quitting, often regarded as a form of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), underscores the need to understand its underlying mechanisms. Prior research suggests that ego depletion contributes to work disengagement, implying that quiet quitting may similarly stem from diminished self-regulatory resources. Drawing on ego depletion theory, this study examines how IT obsolescence depletes employees’ self-regulatory capacity through the effort to manage negative emotions, thereby increasing the likelihood of quiet quitting. Furthermore, as leader–member exchange (LMX) is recognized as a critical job resource that mitigates the adverse effects of workplace stressors, this study investigates whether leader interpersonal emotion management (IEM) strategies moderate the relationship between ego depletion and quiet quitting, potentially buffering its negative impact.