The Effect of Side-Hustle Thriving on Full-Time Work Performance: A Conservation of Resources Perspective

Abstract

The rise of digital labour platforms has made side-hustles a defining feature of modern work. The debate over whether side-hustles benefit or burden full-time work remains unresolved. We propose side-hustle thriving as a key factor. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, we theorize dual pathways: Side-hustle thriving enhances full-time work performance through psychological detachment from and affective well-being within employees' full-time roles (resource gain), yet simultaneously impairs it via side-hustle attention residue and full-time work resource depletion (resource depletion). Two studies, one with 10-day experience sampling (N = 97, 644 observations) and another with a multisource, multiwave design (N = 247), support this framework. Crucially, we identify boundary segmentation preference between side-hustles and full-time work as a key moderator: Employees who strongly separate work domains amplify the resource gain pathway while mitigating resource depletion. This research offers a nuanced framework for managing multiple jobholding in the gig economy era.