Examining the phenomenon of moonlighting in the face of a digital gig economy

Abstract

The purpose of this research study was to explore the phenomenon of moonlighting through digital gig work, from a senior management perspective. The modern labour market has been characterised with the appearance of untraditional forms of employment such as moonlighting and gig work (Pouliakas, 2017). Not only have these new forms of work been stimulated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic, but also from flexible methods of working such as work from home (WFH) (Kohn, Albani, Hayday, & Pianko, 2020) and flexi-work. Regardless of these atypical employment forms, it is of critical importance for employers to maintain and preserve the psychological contract that exists between the employee and the employer themselves. Although existing literature focuses largely on the employee perspective on the moonlighting phenomenon, little attention has been paid to the managerial perspective on moonlighting, especially within the gig economy. This dissertation added a valuable perspective on the moonlighting phenomenon by focusing on how employers perceive this form of employment from a psychological contract perspective. Qualitative research was utilised in the form of semi-structured digital interviews to retrieve the data and to transcribe it into valuable information by using the thematic analysis methodology. The research findings indicated that employers within the information technology industry have a number of expectations of as well as perceived obligations towards their moonlighting employees. From an expectation point of view, participants reported that they expect their moonlighting employees to effectively manage their time, to be consistently available whenever required to, to uphold their performance standards and outputs, to remain focused while at work without the second gig or job trickling over into their primary work, as well as to keep communication lines open with their management team. Secondly, from an obligations point of view, the participants provided insights into both their perceived obligations towards their organisation, as well as towards their moonlighting employees. The former includes upholding performance standards of moonlighters, the management of risks related to dual employment, as well as maintaining the trust relationship; whereas the latter relates to the facilitation of the approval of moonlighting, providing advice, support, and guidance to the moonlighting employee, and finally to manage their performance outputs.