Organizational politics and quiet quitting: The roles of affective commitment and meaningfulness of work

Background Quiet quitting has gained increasing attention as a workplace issue, with organizational politics potentially contributing to employee withdrawal behaviors. Despite its relevance, empirical research on this relationship remains scarce, highlighting a critical gap in the literature. Objective Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Conservation of Resources Theory (CRT), this study examines the relationship between organizational politics and quiet quitting among higher education faculty members, with affective commitment as a mediator and meaningfulness of work as a moderating variable. Methods The study employed a cross-sectional survey design, collecting data from 307 faculty members in Delhi NCR, India. The proposed model was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results The direct effect of organizational politics on quiet quitting was non-significant, consistent with indirect-only mediation. Additionally, meaningfulness of work moderates the negative impact of organizational politics on affective commitment, thereby buffering the indirect effect of organizational politics on quiet quitting. Conclusions The study highlights the detrimental effect of organizational politics on faculty affective commitment and quiet quitting, and emphasizes the protective role of affective commitment and meaningfulness of work in reducing quiet quitting behavior.