No man is an island: side-hustle time pressure and full-time knowledge sharing

Purpose By integrating the social affiliation model and self-construal framework, this study aims to examine for whom and through what mechanism side-hustle time pressure is associated with knowledge sharing within full-time jobs in the hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approach This study used a sequential, multimethod design. First, a scenario-based experiment with Chinese participants (Study 1) was conducted to establish initial causal logic. This was followed by a three-wave field survey in the Chinese hospitality industry (Study 2) to test the model. Finally, a cross-cultural replication survey (Study 3) was implemented to examine the generalizability of the findings. Findings Self-construal moderated the positive relationship between side-hustle time pressure and knowledge sharing within the hospitality industry. This relationship was significantly stronger for employees with an interdependent self-construal than for those with an independent self-construal. Moreover, loneliness mediated this relationship. Notably, this core pattern of results replicated across both Chinese and non-Chinese hospitality samples. Practical implications Hospitality managers should recognize that employees’ responses to side-hustle time pressure vary by self-construal. Given that those with an interdependent self-construal are more vulnerable to loneliness under time pressure, managers should offer targeted support through flexible scheduling and team-building initiatives to mitigate negative effects and promote knowledge sharing. Originality/value This research advances traditional employee studies by identifying side-hustle time pressure as a novel antecedent to knowledge sharing. It establishes self-construal as a boundary condition and clarifies the affective pathway through loneliness. It offers a new perspective on how the side hustle shapes core job behaviors in the hospitality industry.