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Personality traits and leadership style
Personality traits and leadership style
Personality traits and leadership style
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Oil has always been a coveted natural resource. Oil was discovered in the United States in 1859; since it was a young industry, it was without any structure. That is where John Davison Rockefeller stepped in. John Rockefeller was at one point one of the richest men in the world, monopolizing the oil industry which played a major role in shaping the economy. John D. Rockefeller was born on July 8, 1839 in Rickford, New York. He grew up in a very poor family. His father was William Avery Rockefeller. He claimed to be a doctor, who for $25 would cure various diseases. His mother was Eliza Davison Rockefeller. She was the role model who taught Rockefeller his values and morals (Poole). John Rockefeller was the second child. Altogether he had five brothers and sisters (Outman 139). As a child he was very business smart. At the young age of 12 he loaned $50 to a famer. He charged a 7% interest. When he was older he said this about the business deal, “The impression was gaining ground with me that it was a good thing to let money be my servant and not make myself a slave to money” (Poole). To be a good business man it is important be highly educated. John D. Rockefeller went to middle school at Owega Academy in Owega, New York. He exceled at preforming difficult math problems in his head. In all his other classes he was an average student. He attended high school in Cleveland, Ohio. He exceled in math and was on the debating team. His school emphasized public speaking which would help him later in life. When he graduated from high school he went on to college. He attended a ten week college called Folson’s Commercial College. Some of his studies included bookkeeping, penmanship, business history, banking, and exchange just to nam... ... middle of paper ... ...ichest men in the world, monopolizing the oil industry, which played an important role in shaping the economy. In today’s oil business Rockefeller’s effect can still be seem in business strategies, values, and competitive logic. The oil business is now structured and very competitive. It also plays many important roles in the economy. Works Cited Morris, Joe Alex. “The Rockefellers”. Saturday evening post 223.27. (1950): 14-16. Master file premier. Web. 31. Jan. 2014. Outman, James and Elizabeth Outman. “John D. Rockefeller.” Industrial Revolution Biographies. Farm Hills: Thomson Gale, 2003. 139-147. Print. Poole, Keith, “Biography John D. Rockefeller.” Public Broadcasting Service. 2012. July 2012. Web. 26. January. 2014. Pratt, Joseph A. “Exxon and the Control of Oil.” Journal of American History. 99.1 (2012): 145-154. Academic search elite. Web. 26. Jan. 2014.
Rockefeller was America’s first billionaire, and he was the true epitome of capitalism. Rockefeller was your typical rags-to-riches businessman, and at the turn of the twentieth century, while everyone else in the working class was earning ten dollars max every week, Rockefeller was earning millions. There has been much discussion as to whether Rockefeller’s success was due to being a “robber baron”, or as a “captain of industry”. By definition, a robber baron was an industrialist who exploited others in order to achieve personal wealth, however, Rockefeller’s effect on the economy and the lives of American citizens has been one of much impact, and deserves recognition. He introduced un-seen techniques that greatly modified the oil industry. During the mid-nineteenth century, there was a high demand for kerosene. In the refining process from transforming crude oil to kerosene, many wastes were produced. While others deemed the waste useless, Rockefeller turned it into income by selling them. He turned those wastes into objects that would be useful elsewhere, and in return, he amassed a large amount of wealth. He sold so much “waste” that railroad companies were desperate to be a part of his company. However, Rockefeller demanded rebates, or discounted rates, from the railroad companies, when they asked to be involved with his business. By doing so, Rockefeller was able to lower the price of oil to his customers, and pay low wages to his workers. Using these methods,
Rockefeller even wrote in a letter to a partner, "we must remember we are refining oil for the poor man and he must have it cheap and good" (83).
First, the Standard Oil Company created money for the economy and provided jobs. This helped individuals pay bills, provide for their family among other things. Next, Rockefeller used techniques so that the price would be affordable for everybody. The company succeeded at this and the company provided cheap oil for homes which was used light among other tasks with this oil. Finally ,through all the stages of building up Rockefeller constantly gave to charity and ended up giving over 550 million dollars! With this money, Rockefeller helped the community in many ways. He helped generously donated a large sum of money to the General Education Board, so students could get an education and become successful. He also set up the Rockefeller Foundation, which helped everyday people with their well being. He also helped the Rockefeller Sanitary Committee. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company did a lot of positive outcomes in
Matthew Josephson agreed that Rockefeller was indeed a "robber baron". In the book Taking Sides, he claims that Rockefeller was a deceptive and conspiratorial businessman, whose fortune was built by secret agreements and wrung concessions from America's leading railroad companies (Taking Sides 25). When John D. Rockefeller merged with the railroad companies, he had gained control of a strategic transportation route that no other companies would be able to use. Rockefeller would then be able to force the hand on the railroads and was granted a rebate on his shipments of oil. This was a kind of secret agreement between the two industries.
Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller: Captains of industry, or robber barons? True, Andrew Carnegie and John D Rockefeller may have been the most influential businessmen of the 19th century, but was the way they conducted business proper? To fully answer this question, we must look at the following: First understand how Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller changed the market of their industries. Second, look at the similarities and differences in how both men achieved dominance.
...mpanies, it eventually came to the point where they couldn’t keep up and eventually became a part of Standard Oil. By the time Rockefeller had reached the age of 40, his company had controlled all national oil refining by 90% and about 70% of international export of said oil.
Throughout history, there have been many successful businessmen. One who stands out from the rest is John D. Rockefeller.
John Davison Rockefeller of English and German decent was born on July 8, 1839 in Richford, New York. He grew up in a family of six children him being the second. His father was William Avery Rockefeller a con artist and his mother was Eliza Davison a homemaker. Rockefeller’s father William was infamous for his notorious schemes. When Rockefeller was only a child his father was caught having an affair with their housekeeper Nancy and was also gone f...
Nixon taught himself to read before he entered to elementary school. He got accepted from Harvard with some scholarship; however, he was forced by his parents to stay because of financial difficulties. Rather than moving to the Eastern parts, he went to Whittier College in September 1930. He was interested in football, drama, and student government. He participated a lot in many activities. While he was studying at the college, he worked to earn money with his families, who still did not have enough money. Later, he went to Duke University’s law school with a full 4-year scholarship in 1934.
"The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller." US History. Independence Hall Association, 2010. Web. 1 Feb. 2014. .
The life and career of John Davidson Rockefeller is a story of American economic development that led to great success. Born in 1839 in Richford, New York, Rockefeller built an economic empire. Rockefeller’s first interest in acquiring money first began through his church involvement. He volunteered to raise $2000 for a church debt. Later Rockefeller confessed, "The plan absorbed me. I contributed what I could, and my first ambition to earn more money was aroused by this and similar undertakings in which I was constantly engaged."(1) He began his career as a humble oil business bookkeeper in Cleveland, Ohio and in just seven years rose to control a tenth of the entire United States oil industry.(2)
The Standard Oil Monopoly John D. Rockefeller was the founder of the Standard Oil Company. He opened his first refinery in Cleveland, Ohio in 1863. In 1870 he created Standard Oil. By the 1890s, Rockefeller controlled 90% of the United States pipelines and refineries. Many critics of Rockefeller claim this was due to unfair business practices which gave him a monopoly on the oil market.
Granitz and Klein, in their analysis of the case, explain Rockefeller’s success in monopolizing the petroleum industry through transportation rather than refining. In contrast to the refining industry, there were only three railroads that transported petrol in 1870. Entry into the transportation stage was difficult because of high fixed costs. Therefore, it was possible to establish a cartel by “collusively agreeing to stabilize individual railroad market shares and by shifting petroleum shipments between railroads to enforce the agreement” (Granitz and Klein 1996, p. 2). The railroads facilitated Standard’s refinery acquisitions and prevented entry by setting high rates to non-Standard refiners. Rockefeller, very shrewdly, cooperated with the railroads t...
The very origin of Standard Oil began with John D. Rockefeller himself. Rockefeller was born in Richford, New York in 1839 and he moved with his family to Cleveland, Ohio in 1853. By 1859, he established a business which dealt with hay, grain, meats, and other merchandise. He first saw a future in oil production in Pennsylvania in the early 1860s. He immediately established his own oil refinery in 1863 and became the largest refinery around the Cleveland area within two years (“John D. Rockefeller”).
Mooney, Richard. "Banker of America." The Boston Globe 4 Apr. 1999: L1 "Powerful house of Morgan Changes with the Times." The San Diego Union-Tribune 24 Feb. 1986: 18 Sinclair, Andrew. Corsair: The Life of J. Pierpont Morgan. Toronto: Little, Brown and Company, 1981.