The impact of work-life conflict and technology-related anxiety on quiet quitting: The moderating role of organizational support among internal auditors in higher education institutions

Abstract

This study aims to examine the influence of work-life conflict, technology-related anxiety, and perceived organizational support on quiet quitting, job satisfaction, and innovative work behavior among internal auditors in higher education institutions in Indonesia. Data were collected from 170 respondents using a structured questionnaire, and the analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to capture the complex relationships among the variables. The findings reveal that work-life conflict and technology-related anxiety significantly increase the likelihood of quiet quitting, while perceived organizational support enhances job satisfaction and reduces quiet quitting. Job satisfaction is shown to positively influence innovative work behavior, whereas quiet quitting has a negative effect. In addition, job satisfaction mediates the relationships between the independent variables and behavioral outcomes, and perceived organizational support moderates the effect of job satisfaction on both quiet quitting and innovative work behavior. Overall, the results underscore the importance of fostering a supportive organizational environment to mitigate disengagement and encourage innovative behavior, particularly within the digitally driven and demanding context of higher education. From a practical perspective, higher education institutions should strengthen organizational support mechanisms and implement strategies to reduce technology-related stress and work-life imbalance, thereby improving auditor engagement and innovation.