The Decision to Moonlight or Quit: Incorporating Multiple Jobholding into a Model of Turnover

Abstract

ABSTRACT Organization researchers often assume that 'the job' is the employee's only employment when exploring jobs and job related topics. This assumption simplifies the analysis but is misleading because it does not reflect reality. Multiple jobholding (moonlighting) warrants attention by organization scholars because at any given time a significant number of individuals hold more than one job. Additional employment provides workers with an alternative source of valuable work related outcomes such as income, training, and benefits. It also potentially changes their perceptions, decisions, and behaviors, and may impact their performance, absenteeism and turnover at their primary jobs. With such potential effects, it stands to reason that organization researchers can develop more useful models if they consider the impact of moonlighting on the constructs and relationships they are studying. In this paper, the one-worker/ one-job notion is set aside. First some background on multiple jobholding is presented. This is followed by two models - a model of the decision to hold multiple jobs and a comprehensive turnover model adapted to include multiple jobholding. The models provide potential starting points for studying multiple jobholding and serve as examples of how multiple jobholding can be integrated into existing models in organization studies. INTRODUCTION When addressing jobs and job related topics in organization studies, the underlying assumption is that 'the job' is the employee's only employment. We rarely find an explicit statement acknowledging the possibility of multiple-jobholding. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that 5.0% of workers in the US were multiple jobholders in August of 2005 (BLS, 2005) and the actual rate is probably much higher (Betts, 2004; Baba & Jamal, 1992; Crawford, 1978; Jamal, 1986). Indeed, multiple-jobholding, or'moonlighting', is a widespread phenomenon that has largely been overlooked in organization studies (Betts, 2002; Baba & Jamal, 1992; Jamal, 1986). Moonlighting provides workers with an alternative source of valuable work related outcomes such as income, training, and benefits (Factor, 1991; Henry & Rogers, 1986). It also potentially changes their perceptions, decisions, and behaviors, and may impact their performance, absenteeism and turnover at their primary jobs (Aebi, 1998; Davey & Brown, 1970; Habbe, 1957). With such potential effects on the constructs and relationships they are studying, moonlighting warrants attention by organization scholars. Background information on multiple jobholding will be presented first. The definition and prevalence of multiple jobholding will be discussed, augmented by an exploration of some of the issues regarding the practice. This is followed by an argument for the value of moonlighting in organization studies, a review of the academic literature, and a discussion of possible reasons why multiple jobholding is under-researched. Next two models are proposed. The first model is a potential starting point for studying multiple jobholding - a model of the decision to hold multiple jobs. The second model provides an example of how multiple jobholding can be integrated into an existing model in the field, by adapting a comprehensive turnover model to include multiple jobholding. MOONLIGHTING (MULTIPLE JOBHOLDING) Moonlighting is commonly understood as having a second job, usually part-time, in addition to a primary job full-time job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses the more descriptive term 'Multiple Jobholding'. They go somewhat further in describing moonlighting by including two conditions driven by separate considerations. All primary jobs other must be paid employment, with the exception of unpaid family employment. Unpaid family employees perform tasks and activities that would be paid employment if performed by a non-family member. In this sense, unpaid family employment is equivalent to paid employment and is included in the government tally of jobs. …