THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CREATIVE AREAS (OCA) IN DYNAMIC INNOVATION: FROM COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF INDIVIDUAL RATIONAL ECONOMICS TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT OF COLLECTIVE SUSTAINABILITY Genesis and Overview: The Organization as Mediator between Entrepreneurs and Innovations

This book represents the culmination of an international project to compile multi and inter-disciplinary research that most contributes to innovation. The book's unifying constructs are innovation and the organization. The organization mediates between entrepreneurs and innovations. This preface presents a brief overview of developments concerning the organization and innovation. Organizations have gradually grown in importance throughout human history. They matured after the Industrial Revolution began in Europe in the 18 th century and later spread to the United States of America in the 19 th century. The gradual transition from a non-industrial to an industrial society has marked the frontiers between periods of evolution and industrial development of organizations. Here, the term evolution assumes that changes in society are relatively unpredictable, whereas industrial development denotes a more predictable sequence of planned modernization (Richter, 1982). Evolution characterizes processes of organizing in ancient and the Middle Ages civilizations, and the Renaissance supported development of the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Many modern principles of organizing emerged during ancient civilizations (5.000 B.C.-500 A.C). It is probable that organizing processes began in the family, later extending to the tribe, and finally reaching formalized political units (Wren, 1987). After the fall of the Roman Empire and the emergence of Feudalism in Europe, new principles of organizing evolved as solutions to economic and political crises. An increasing record of writings about organizing characterized the Middle Ages. Nevertheless, economies and societies were essentially static, management practices were still largely antihuman, science was only a philosophical rather than a technological concern, and political values involved unilateral decisions by central authorities. These conditions were unfavorable for developing an industrialized society. Crises in Europe during the 14 th and 16 th centuries brought a revolution in thinking and culture, together with religious, social, economic and political strife, giving genesis to the Renaissance (Delouche, 2001). The Renaissance brought a new focus on reason, discovery, exploration and science. Overseas expansion of Europe between the 15 th and 18 th centuries strengthened the confrontation and integration of cultures on different continents and gave birth to Mercantilism. Globalization and a worldwide economy evoked new technologies and more complex principles of organizing. Additionally, there was increasing need and call for practices that could bring ethics to individual liberty and to markets. Political philosophers