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Journals / Kırklareli Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 15 Sayı: 1

Silent Resistance at Work: Reframing Quiet Quitting Through Critical Theory

İşyerinde Sessiz Direniş: Eleştirel Teori Aracılığıyla Sessiz İstifayı Yeniden Tanımlamak

Yusuf Akkoca(AHİ EVRAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-8772-6896
Pages
44–59
Publication Date
2026-03-28
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Overall, the paper suggests that quiet quitting should not be dismissed as organizational dysfunction, but interpreted as a signal of contested legitimacy and strained reciprocity in contemporary employment relationships.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Quiet quitting is predominantly framed in the literature as a form of disengagement, declining commitment, or motivational deficiency.
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Key Findings & Data:This conceptual paper challenges such deficit-oriented interpretations by re-examining quiet quitting through the lenses of Critical Theory and Social Exchange Theory.
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Conclusion & Impact:Overall, the paper suggests that quiet quitting should not be dismissed as organizational dysfunction, but interpreted as a signal of contested legitimacy and strained reciprocity in contemporary employment relationships.
🔬Design:Derleme
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Sessiz İstifa · Eleştirel Teori · Sosyal Değişim Teorisi

Abstract

Quiet quitting is predominantly framed in the literature as a form of disengagement, declining commitment, or motivational deficiency. This conceptual paper challenges such deficit-oriented interpretations by re-examining quiet quitting through the lenses of Critical Theory and Social Exchange Theory. The study argues that dominant discourses of commitment and discretionary effort present extra-role contribution as a natural expectation of employees, thereby downplaying structural power asymmetries in contemporary employment relationships. Under conditions of intensified work demands and unequal exchange, quiet quitting is conceptualized as a rational and silent form of resistance rather than organizational dysfunction. By embedding social exchange processes within a critical framework, the paper offers a theoretical re-framing of withdrawal as a politically meaningful response to contested reciprocity at work. Overall, the paper suggests that quiet quitting should not be dismissed as organizational dysfunction, but interpreted as a signal of contested legitimacy and strained reciprocity in contemporary employment relationships. Recognizing this reframing invites scholars and practitioners alike to reconsider how silence, engagement, and resistance are theorized and managed in modern organizations.

Özet

Literatürde sessiz istifa, ağırlıklı olarak bağlılıktan kopma, azalan bağlılık veya motivasyon eksikliği olarak çerçevelenmektedir. Bu kavramsal makale, sessiz istifayı Eleştirel Teori ve Sosyal Değişim Teorisi perspektiflerinden yeniden inceleyerek, literatürdeki bu eksikliklere odaklanarak yeni bir bakış açısıyla ele almaktadır. Çalışma, bağlılık ve isteğe bağlı çaba hakkındaki yaygın söylemlerin, çalışanlardan beklenen doğal bir şey olarak rol dışı katkıyı sunduğunu ve böylece çağdaş istihdam ilişkilerindeki yapısal güç eşitsizliklerini küçümsediğini savunmaktadır. Yoğunlaşan iş talepleri ve eşit olmayan değişim koşulları altında, sessiz istifa, olumsuz örgütsel davranışlardan ziyade rasyonel ve sessiz bir direniş biçimi olarak kavramsallaştırılmaktadır. Sosyal değişim süreçlerini eleştirel bir çerçeveye yerleştirerek, iş yerinde tartışmalı karşılıklılığa politik olarak anlamlı bir yanıt olarak sessiz istifanın teorik bir yeniden çerçevelendirilmesini sunmaktadır. Genel olarak, makale, sessiz istifanın örgütsel işlev bozukluğu olarak göz ardı edilmemesi, aksine çağdaş istihdam ilişkilerinde tartışmalı konuların bir işareti olarak yorumlanması gerektiğini öne sürmektedir. Bu yeniden kavramsallaştırma hem akademisyenleri hem de uygulayıcıları, modern örgütlerde sessizliğin, katılımın ve direncin nasıl kuramsallaştırıldığını ve yönetildiğini yeniden düşündürmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Akkoca, Y. (2026). Silent Resistance at Work: Reframing Quiet Quitting Through Critical Theory. Kırklareli Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 15 Sayı: 1, 44–59. https://doi.org/10.53306/klujfeas.1866409

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