Question

In the late 1800s, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company was one of the largest corporations in the United States. It was also a classic example of a bureaucracy. Given that fact, explain what qualifications Standard Oil must have met to be considered a bureaucracy, and the basic features of its operation.

Answer 1

In operation from 1870-1911, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company was one of the largest corporations in the United States. It was known to be a bureaucracy, which can be defined as a clear hierarchy of authority (structure of who is in charge of what/who); a rigid division of labor (dividing up responsibilities between individuals); having written and inflexible rules, regulations, and procedures; and impersonal relationships between workers.

In the 1900’s, Standard Oil was accused of many things including the following practices: discrimination, secret prices, contracts with competitors, etc.