Journal Press India^®

Author Details ( * ) denotes Corresponding author

Purpose:The present study examines how Generation Z professionals in Nepali tech startups understand and engage in “quiet quitting” – a strategic form of disengagement shaped not by indifference but by unmet expectations and cultural constraints. Design/Methodology/Approach:Using a qualitative, constructivist-inter pretive approach, the study draws on 25 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Gen Z employees in Nepal’s tech startup ecosystem. Psychological Contract Theory provides the theoretical underpinning, which was interro gated for its applicability in informal, collectivist, and high-power-distance settings. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate five interrelated themes from participant narratives. Findings: The study highlights how organizational informality and hierarchical cultural norms suppress formal dissent, thereby making quiet quitting a permissible and adaptive response. Research Limitations: The study focuses on a specific demographic early-career Gen Z professionals – in the tech startup sector in Nepal. Generalization beyond similar collectivist, informal organizational contexts should be approached with caution. Future comparative studies could enhance transferability across sectors and regions. Managerial Implications: For startup leaders and HR practitioners, reducing quiet quitting requires more than perks or motivational rhetoric. Emphasis must be placed on clear role definitions, culturally sensitive feed back systems, recognition of emotional labor, and inclusive management practices that foster psychological safety and trust. Originality/ Value:This study contributes a context-sensitive, Global South perspective to the literature on employee disengagement. It extends Psycho logical Contract Theory into informal and collectivist environments and reframes quiet quitting as a principled, emotionally strategic form of professionalism rather than mere withdrawal.

Keywords

Quiet Quitting, Psychological Contract Theory, Gen Z, Emotional Labor, Cultural Norms, Nepali Startups, Disengagement.

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