From free pastures to penned in: The within-person effects of psychological reactance on side-hustlers’ hostility and initiative in full-time work.

Abstract

Multiple jobholding is increasingly common, particularly among full-time employees who have adopted side-hustles-income-generating work from the gig economy that is performed alongside full-time work. A distinguishing feature of side-hustles is substantial autonomy in the work's timing, location, and method. This autonomy has typically been portrayed as beneficial. We shift this consensus by developing a withinperson model that suggests elevated side-hustle autonomy-relative to what is typical for that person-sets the employee on a course to feel "boxed in" by their full-time job. Drawing on psychological reactance theory, we argue that elevated autonomy in a side-hustle sensitizes employees to threats that restrict their control. As these employees shift to full-time work, we theorize that this sensitivity is associated with feelings of hostility that contribute to counterproductive behavior. We also propose, however, that sidehustle autonomy has benefits for full-time work-motivating employees to reassert control through increased initiative, thereby enhancing task performance. We explore the countervailing relationships between side-hustle autonomy and full-time work outcomes with a daily experience sampling study (ESM) of 101 full-time employees with side-hustles and their coworkers (Study 1) and a weekly ESM study of 100 full-time employees with side-hustles (Study 2). Taken together, we build and test theory about how employees' side-hustle autonomy exhibits within-person relationships that are a "mixed-bag" for their full-time work behavior.

Self-inconsistency or self-expansion from wearing multiple hats? The daily effects of enacting multiple professional identities on work meaningfulness.

“…We also tested alternative time lags. Study 1 was consistent with prior research about how multiple jobholding experiences extend from 1 day to the next (Sessions et al, 2021, 2023) and general findings about day-to-day spillover (e.g., Foulk et al, 2019; Gabriel et al, 2021; Lanaj et al, 2021; Lanaj, Gabriel, & Jennings, 2023; Ouyang et al, 2019). However, we sought to confirm that overnight time lags did not confound our Study 1 findings about the effects of enactment on stimulation and self-alienation.…”

“…Our account of these daily experiences aligns with theory and findings about the carry forward of multiple jobholding experiences from day to day (Sessions et al, 2021(Sessions et al, , 2023) and theorizing about daily identity work (e.g., Ashforth et al, 2000). Further, our assertions reflect that acting out one identity contributes to the effects of enacting other identities on self-expansion and selfinconsistency.…”