EXPRESS: How Exploitative Leadership Triggers Quiet Quitting and Subsequent Withdrawal Behaviors in the Hotel Industry: A Multi-Group Analysis by Age

This study examines the effects of exploitative leadership on quiet quitting and its consequences in the hospitality industry, while exploring how these relationships differ across age groups. Data were collected from 400 hotel employees and analyzed using structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. The results indicate that exploitative leadership increases organizational cynicism, which in turn promotes quiet quitting and subsequently leads to silence behavior and counterproductive work behavior. Multi-group analysis revealed significant age differences: employees aged 40 and above were more strongly influenced by exploitative leadership and organizational cynicism, whereas employees in their 20s and 30s showed stronger links between detachment and silence behavior. These findings highlight the importance of addressing exploitative leadership to reduce employee disengagement and its negative behavioral outcomes. These findings suggest that hospitality organizations should eliminate exploitative leadership as a root cause and understand age-specific patterns in how employees engage in quiet quitting.