How important is it to maintain a happy workforce? With this question in mind, Lanco Medical Group, a small but fast-growing pharmaceutical distributor serving Latin America, approached the design of their employee benefits and incentives program. But there were gaps between what leadership believed motivated employees and what employees truly valued.

With ambitions for regional and market expansion in the next few years, motivating and retaining employees was a top priority for the leadership team. So, the organization systematized the collection of data about drivers of employee motivation. Priorities varied by age group, organizational role, and geographic locations. A one-size-fits all solution was unlikely to succeed.

In this episode, HBS Professor Susanna Gallani discusses the case “Lanco Medical Group: Fostering Happiness for Growth” with host Brian Kenny. They highlight the tensions between accommodating employees’ preferences, maintaining fairness, and operating a manageable incentive program amid the pursuit of aggressive international growth targets.