Why Side Hustle? Multi-level Antecedents of Multiple Job Holding

Abstract

Even though multiple job holding (MJH) is not a new phenomenon, the recent trends in the contemporary work context, such as technology-enabled platforms, are bringing about a renewed interest in the field, as people are increasingly exploring opportunities to monetize their interests and passions by engaging in additional work along with their full-time employment. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of what factors lead people to engage in multiple jobs, and in what ways, becomes important. Current research on MJH either focuses on outcomes of MJH, or examines the individual-level motivations to take up multiple jobs, while largely understating the role of contextual factors. Our review offers a synthesized framework of antecedents of MJH operating at multiple levels – individual, job, organizational, and macro level. The framework also captures the mechanisms through which these antecedents influence MJH. Synthesizing these different levels of factors can facilitate organizations to better design policies and practices to address the issues related to MJH arrangements and employment contracts.