This paper proposes a foundational generative theory that precedes Brand DNA frameworks, focusing on the structural transition from Creative-Spirit as a personal generative capacity to Founding-Spirit as a shared organizational system. Rather than examining or comparing existing branding or organizational theories, this study articulates the structural necessity that emerges when an individual’s creative-spirit encounters collective necessity. At this threshold, creative-spirit can no longer remain personal; it must be structurally translated into a shared generative system capable of supporting collective judgment, execution, and responsibility. The paper introduces Founding-Spirit as this shared generative structure—one that enables individual creativity to be preserved while allowing organizational coherence without reliance on delegation, cultural enforcement, or behavioral alignment mechanisms. This work establishes the conceptual groundwork for subsequent research on Brand DNA Architecture by clarifying the generative conditions required before any brand structure, identity system, or strategic framework can meaningfully operate.
Eun Jung Lee (Tue,) studied this question.