The moderating role of work-life balance on the relationship between work satisfaction and employee well-being of side-hustle entrepreneurs

Abstract

Side-hustle entrepreneurship is increasingly common, where individuals pursue entrepreneurship alongside their primary paid job. However, the impact of this practice on their employee well-being remains unclear, with previous studies producing contradictory results and focusing on primary job satisfaction only. Previous studies have also raised concerns regarding work-life balance in the relationship between work satisfaction and employee well-being of side-hustle entrepreneurs. The study used a combination of spillover theory and role accumulation theory to examine the moderating role of work-life balance on the relationship between work satisfaction and employee well-being of side-hustle entrepreneurs. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested through a quantitative survey questionnaire. A total of 208 valid observations were used to test the hypotheses through correlation and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate that both side-hustle satisfaction and job satisfaction were positively related to employee well-being of side-hustle entrepreneurs. Work-life balance did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between side-hustle satisfaction and employee well-being. However, it was established that work-life balance did have a negative moderating effect on the relationship between job satisfaction and employee well-being of side-hustle entrepreneurs. The findings may be limited by items being removed from the measurement scales. The sampling method and cross-sectional time horizon also pose limitations to the study. Implications of the findings and recommendations for future research are also outlined.