I’ll admit that when any trend or meme takes hold like this, I’m always a bit skeptical. And I’m not alone; much of the pushback on quiet quitting has boiled down to “What’s new about this?” After all, people have always coasted at work. But the flurry of debate speaks to the fact that this idea — whether we agree with its label or whether it’s new — is resonating with people at a time when the power dynamic between employee and employer is shifting.

With this in mind, I reached out to researchers who study organizational behavior, leadership, and employee engagement and performance to get their input on what it means that employees are choosing to limit extra-role behaviors, and effective ways managers can create a work environment where employees want to engage.