Author(s): Akeem Taiwo, Yusuf Bako, Ilesanmi Ajibode
This study explores the factors influencing moonlighting among academic staff in Federal Polytechnics in Southwest Nigeria and its impact on employee and organizational performance. Adopting a positivist research philosophy and a survey research design, the study gathered data from a sample of 340 academic staff using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using inferential statistics, with the first objective analyzed through percentage methods and the subsequent objectives through multiple regression analysis, utilizing SPSS version 23. The findings revealed that financial pressures, career development opportunities, job satisfaction, workload flexibility, and the desire for diverse experiences significantly influence academic staff to engage in moonlighting. The study also shows that while moonlighting provides individual benefits, such as increased income and enhanced creativity, it has a negative impact on organizational performance, particularly in terms of service delivery. The study concludes that moonlighting is a double-edged sword, offering personal benefits to academic staff but potentially undermining institutional effectiveness. Based on these findings, the study recommends the development of clear moonlighting policies, salary reviews, enhanced internal career development programs, and monitoring systems to balance the needs of employees with the goals of the institution. These measures could help mitigate the negative effects of moonlighting while supporting the professional growth of academic staff.