Unveiling Hybrid Entrepreneurship in Pakistan's Women Academicians: Investigating the Synergy between Regular Employment and Self-Employment

Through the lens of social cognitive theory and role enrichment theory, this research explores on-the-job issues faced by low-income female college teachers working in Pakistan's higher education institutions (HEIs). This exploration aimed to trace the stimulus factors in full-time employees responsible for engaging in hybrid entrepreneur ship. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted to obtain rigorous and trustworthy results. We used snowball sampling to approach 26 women academicians in HEIs for face-to-face interviews. Thematic inductive analysis was performed using NVivo 11 Plus software. The study's findings indicate that some teachers faced financial constraints due to low salary packages, single parenting, and time flexibility that forced them to move towards being part-time entrepreneurs. In addition, the economic and political conditions of the country were identified as influential factors in their decisions on entrepreneurial intentions and starting hybrid entrepreneur ship. The result indicates another outcome stream that higher work pressure job insecurities, entrepreneurial intentions, and financial constraints urge employees to make hybrid financial investment decisions. Our findings revealed the stimulus factors that women academicians in HEIs are directly or indirectly involved in hybrid entrepreneurship and how extra working time affects their family and work-life imbalance.