From multi-level stressors to quiet quitting: the mediating role of job burnout among vocational college lecturers

Introduction: Quiet quitting has attracted growing attention as a form of work withdrawal, yet evidence from vocational education remains limited. Drawing on Conservation of Resources theory, this study examines how person-organization fit, work-family conflict, and work overload relate to quiet quitting among vocational college lecturers, with job burnout as a mediator. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among vocational college lecturers in China, and 523 valid responses were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Results: Person-organization fit negatively predicted quiet quitting and job burnout, whereas work-family conflict positively predicted both outcomes. Work overload did not directly predict quiet quitting but showed an indirect effect through job burnout. Job burnout significantly predicted quiet quitting and mediated the relationships between the three antecedent variables and quiet quitting. Discussion: These findings extend Conservation of Resources theory by showing that quiet quitting among vocational college lecturers is shaped by multi-level stressors and operates largely through job burnout, highlighting the importance of improving person-organization fit, reducing work-family conflict, and managing workload to sustain lecturer engagement.