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Orientation: The emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has compelled various organisations to alter their human resource management approaches in response to a challenging work milieu. Providing meaningful rewards is imperative for maintaining employee productivity and business continuity during turmoil. Research purpose: The main objective of this research was to explore significant incentives for employees of pharmaceutical enterprises amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this study examined the reward preferences of pharmaceutical professionals in managerial positions concerning their age and gender. Motivation for the study: Despite the extensive body of research on rewards during the COVID-19 pandemic, there exists a notable gap in the literature regarding the investigation of total rewards in the pharmaceutical industry from the vantage points of gender and age. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative research approach was followed with data collected from managerial employees in a pharmaceutical company ( N = 12). Thematic analyses were applied. Main findings: Overall, the female participants exhibited a greater propensity towards all rewards than male counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic mostly impacted female Millennials, who identified all aspects of total rewards as crucial. Male Baby Boomers were more inclined towards being incentivised by monetary remuneration than non-monetary perks. Practical/managerial implications: The findings underscore the importance of leaders prioritising human-centred values such as trust, appreciation, interpersonal connections, and collaborative teamwork. Contribution/value-add: The study's results prompt researchers and practitioners to reconsider conventional characteristics and incentive inclinations of distinct age cohorts and gender categories, which have undergone modifications because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ankiah et al. (Thu,) studied this question.