抄録
This paper focuses on the Standard Oil Company (S.O.C.) which John D. Rockefeller, the most representative entrepreneur of American oil industries, managed and controlled for about twenty years. The S.O.C. is said to be "the greatest commercial organization of modern times" (R.W. Hidy), or "As an example of destructive, monopolistic exploitation-the name, indeed, has come a virtual fold symbol of monopoly" (H.W.Larson). Here, we divide the history of this company into three stages-the first stage is the formation period (1863-1911), the second the establishment period (1882-1892), and the third the development period (1893-1911). Our study points out (1) the development of the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, (2) the South Improvement Company and (3) the Standard alliance in the first period. In the second period, the S.O.C. was re-organized and re-systematized into subsidary-companies in every state by the nine trustees in 1882. We will mainly analyse the Standard Oil Trust agreement. Although the S.O.C. introduced 'the Committee Institution', we cannot understand the factors in the growth of the S.O.C. without analysing this institution which was the symbol of the S.O.C. In other words, the development of the S.O.C. was due to the good communication within its members. For, the very prompting power of the S.O.C., was really the Central staff of the S.O.C., that is, the member of that committee (this relationship between them will be explained in our chart 4.) During the third period, the S.O.C. conquered all the domestic market by 1880, and turned to the world market. Therefore, the necessity of the epoch-making shipping-transportation of the oil was deeply felt by the S.O.C. We wish to put light on the historical process of the international business activities of the S.O.C. The S.O.C. had already become the leader, not only of the American oil industries, but also of the international oil companies at the beginning of the 20th centery. But, the S.O.C. was prosecuted and ordered dissolution by the Federal Supreme Court and was decentralized into 33 companies in 1911.
