Organizational Innovation – A Means to Enhance Quality of Life for Employees in Knowledge Economy

This paper provides an overview of the latest significant researches, both in academic and public institutions, both theoretical and empirical, both in Europe and worldwide, on organizational innovation. It synthesizes the different approaches especially on the effects of innovative practices on the employees’ quality of life, as they emerge from the empirical research conducted ??in different organizations and countries, mainly in organizations of knowledge-intensive business services sector, specific to knowledge economy. Organizational innovation is a new way of organizing the business practices of the organization, including knowledge management, in workplace organization or external relations; it refers to practices that have never been used before by the company. Knowledge-based organizations are built on intangible assets, on the knowledge, experience and competences of high-skilled human resources, who represent the most valuable resource of these organizations. The secondary data analysis we conducted showed that workplace innovation leads to employees’ welfare, health and therefore to their motivation and loyalty. Unfortunately, in the last five years, the percentage of European companies that adopt new, innovative forms of organization (“discretionary learning” forms), meant to ensure better working conditions, decreased. Moreover, in Romania there is a lack of harmonization between legislation and the development of activities specific to the knowledge economy; that is why the conclusions of the paper consist in several guidelines for Romanian business environment in order to improve the “golden collars” employees’ quality of life.