The impact of motivational factors on hybrid entrepreneurship transition decisions

Abstract

The changes across labour markets and social norms have resulted in more flexible working arrangements and portfolio careers. Hybrid entrepreneurship, the phenomenon of an individual running an entrepreneurial venture or side hustle whilst in wage employment, has received heightened attention as an example of such labour market progression. While studies have considered the motivational factors that influence either hybrid or full-time entrepreneurial entry, there is limited understanding of the motivational factors that influence entrepreneurs to transition from the hybrid to the full-time state. The purpose of the study was to better understand the motivational factors that influence persistent hybrid entrepreneurs (PHE) and transitory hybrid entrepreneurs (THE) to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. A quantitative, survey-styled approach addressed the research purpose, and a binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to test the research hypotheses. The crosssectional study yielded a sample of 160 hybrid entrepreneurs, which was subsequently stratified into PHE and THE groups, resulting in a final sample size of 120 entrepreneurs. The results revealed that Individual and Social motivational factors impact hybrid entrepreneurs to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. Additional findings demonstrated that the hours spent per week on a side hustle and the duration of hybrid entrepreneurship would increase the likelihood of transitional behaviour. This study contributes to literature on motivational theory, hybrid entrepreneurship and transition decisions by presenting additional findings on the motivational factors the impact South African hybrid entrepreneurs to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. Keywords: Hybrid entrepreneurship, motivation, transitory entrepreneurship, persistent entrepreneurship, full-time entrepreneurship