Standard Oil Company Workforce Analysis

In 1863, Rockefeller joined forces with Samuel Andrews and Maurice B. Clark to start an oil refinery in Cleveland, Ohio. Two years after purchasing Clark's shares from Rockefeller, Henry M. Flagler was invited to join the specific venture. Andrews, Rockefeller, and Flagler operated the largest Cleveland refineries by 1870, and these and associated facilities were purchased by the newly formed Standard Oil Company in Ohio in 1870 (Jain & Oommen, 2020). By 1880, it managed the refining of between 90 and 95% of all U.S. oil production through the complete removal of competitors, amalgamations with other companies, and the use of advantageous railroad rebates. When various nine trustees signed the Standard Oil Trust Agreement, for example, Rockefeller, in 1882, the Standard Oil Company and its related companies took part in producing, refining, and distributing oil were combined into one entity (Gomez, 2018). As a result of the agreement, the trustees were responsible for some 40 corporations, 14 of which were owned by the trust. Many different legal structures made it difficult for the public to investigate and understand the Standard Oil Trust's inner workings when it was established in 1882. "You could argue its existence from its effects, but you could not prove it," wrote Ida Tarbell in her History of the Standard Oil Company. Ohio's Supreme Court dissolved the trust in 1892, and it continued to function from its headquarters in New York City despite that decision. This essay discusses Standard Oil Company by incorporating aspects of the workforce and the various factors that affect the company's workforce. 

Immigration and Globalization 

Immigration and globalization positively impacted the workforce of Standard Oil Company. One way this happened is that immigration of people from other countries into the United States provided and still provides a source of cheaper labor for Standard Oil company. According to most studies, Immigrant salaries are often in line with those of natives in the same field and with the same demographic features within a few years after arrival. In general, it appears that only recently arrived immigrants can undercut native wages. Illegal aliens are likely to fall under this category as well. As a collective, and illegal immigrants, particularly immigrants and non-citizens, often earn less than native-born employees due to their substantially lower educational attainment. 

As a general rule, immigrants get earnings corresponding with their abilities, which tend to be lower than those of natives as a whole. This is one of how immigration benefits or affects the workforce of Standard Oil Company as the company spends less money more a greater output. Most importantly for the workforce, immigration boosts the supply of workers. According to the CPS Current Population Survey, nearly 21.5 million adults from other countries worked in the United States in March 2005. As a result, they are not uniformly distributed throughout professions. In 2005, 30 percent of immigrants in the workforce were without a high school diploma, and 34 percent of those who had entered the country during the previous five years lacked a diploma. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, just 8% of natives working in the United States have no high school education (Zong et al., 2018). Immigrants make around 15% of the workforce overall. But they make up 40% of the workforce without a high school diploma and only 12% of the workforce with a college degree or higher. 

Immigrants' employment patterns also reveal a large concentration in low-skilled positions. Six percent of legal services workers (mainly attorneys and their support personnel) and 9 percent of management workers were immigrants in 2005. Standard Oil Company takes advantage of this and employs the United States in positions that require expertise and immigrants in positions that do not need so much expertise.  When it comes to cleaning and maintaining buildings, they accounted for 34% of the workforce, compared to 26% of construction laborers (Jian & Oommen, 2020). As a result, certain employees have seen a significant rise in supply due to immigration. As a result, natives in low-skilled and low-paying jobs are likely to bear the brunt of any impact on native salaries or job chances. Less-educated people are more likely to have a negative opinion of immigration because of their greater job rivalry. On the other hand, those who are more educated and more affluent tend to regard immigrants as just "taking jobs that Americans don't want," on the other hand. This implies that immigration activities avail a wider workforce for Standard Oil Company. The company takes advantage of this to ensure that it attracts the best talents among the immigrants through the provision of various employee emoluments. 

Even though Standard Oil Company has yet to fully grasp the impact of globalization on the workplace, specific alterations are already taking place due to the company's increased diversity efforts. Some of these changes may not be as beneficial as others. Small business owners realize that to keep up with the rapid pace of change, they must implement new policies and procedures. A more diverse workforce is one of the changes that will affect Standard Oil Company's workforce. As globalization spreads, Standard Oil Company has to deal with an increasingly multicultural workforce. Due to these changes, small and large businesses must implement new rules and plans for their employees. 

As a result of this increased cultural diversity, businesses have gained new perspectives on management and marketing. Wages for many workers have changed as more businesses have access to foreign companies that provide outsourcing. Third-world companies are offering their services at a much lower price than those in countries with a higher standard of living because of the lower cost of living. As more companies follow the outsourcing trend, it has had a negative impact on a large number of workers in the United States and other large countries. Even though it increases profit margins for business owners, it can also reduce earnings potential for workers. 

Science, Technology, and Obsolescence 

Over time, people in every field have had to adapt to science, obsolescence, and technology changes. Working conditions have improved throughout time as a result of technological advances. Streamlining time-consuming and costly procedures in the workplace, improving productivity while decreasing travel time are just some of the benefits it has brought to the workplace. This is the most prolific time in Standard Oil Company's history (Wolf, 2019). In manufacturing and communication, obsolescence and science and technology have enhanced output and business speed by orders of magnitude. Workers are now more productive than ever before because of new technology in the workplace. How long it used to take has been reduced to minutes. In a matter of seconds, you may send messages to coworkers or clients all over the world. The company may transmit payments or offers virtually instantly. 

Additionally, Standard Oil Company's team collaboration has never been easier. It is now possible to collaborate more intimately even when working from a distance, thanks to internet communication capabilities provided by science and technology. Because it's easier to collaborate even when people are not together physically, with cloud-based file-sharing solutions like Google Drive, teams at Standard Oil Company may collaborate on the same documents while meeting virtually. Workplace management and customer relationship management systems like Salesforce and Basecamp may help Standard Oil Company track the progress of individual projects and funnel sales all in one location. The organization can even automate follow-ups or complete customer support discussions using basic AI messaging technologies. Science, technology, and obsolescence have a negative impact on Standard Oil Company's employees. 

While productivity continues to rise, salaries remain stagnant. A similar level of output is still expected in the future. Because of this, Standard Oil Company employees may feel like they're always behind, even though their work is getting better thanks to new technologies. They may believe that technology transforms the world around them, even while they remain mostly unchanged. Workers who may one day be replaced by technology are concerned about the future of employment and whether or not they will be able to find work. Several roles have already been axed from the workforce. It is possible to reduce entire departments or the entire Standard Oil Company to a single employee who runs a piece of software (Wolf, 2019). Occupational specialties are susceptible to extinction. Even while advances in science, technology, and obsolescence have radically altered workplace settings, not all of these alterations are probably permanent. 

The employees of Standard Oil Company have the chance to reduce the adverse effects of technological development. Some people may focus on minimizing the elements that cause stress, insomnia, or sadness. Rather than rushing ahead because of the efficiency advantages brought about by new technology, forward-thinking organizations may decide to take their time instead. The Standard Oil Company may employ technology to promote good behaviors and discourage bad ones. Standard Oil Company (Sullivan, 2019). Designing work environments and practices to promote breaks and reduce time spent responding to emails outside of office hours may be done with attention and intention. Workers may receive messages urging them to take a break rather than increase their workload in the future. 

Politics, Social and Cultural Movements, World Events 

When discussing politics on the job, it has long been considered taboo, along with discussing one's religious beliefs, the size of one's income, family, and health difficulties. It is difficult to keep some of these issues out of the office, significantly when they might influence employees' mental health because they have been assigned to personal time. Survivors of sexual assault find it difficult to disregard these processes. In addition, there is a greater emphasis on Standard Oil company’s corporate culture and establishing an atmosphere where employees feel like they fit in (Arora et al., 2021). As a result, people are more likely to seek employment environments to interact with others who share their interests. People are good at picking up on indications about their coworkers, even if they do not bring up their personal experiences of sexual assault in the lunchroom. Sharing has become an accepted practice in society. As a result, despite the potential harm to teams, it is more challenging to disregard political leanings. These are some of the potential impacts of politics in the workplace. 

Social and cultural movements significantly affect the activities in the workplace of Standard Oil Company (Sullivan, 2019). There are many different types of cultural movements, and each one has a specific purpose in mind. A new product or innovation is immensely significant in the domains of art, politics, marketing, commerce, and consumption since they have developed tremendously and now constitute vital sections of many economies. Global competition has forced companies such as Standard Oil, for example, into new markets and a greater focus on the worldwide workforce to compete. Depending on their goals, cultural movements can affect social change inside Standard Oil Company. While the Internet has become a popular commercial social tool, it's fast-evolving in new ways thanks to advertising. Millions of people have put up their websites since the technology is so simple. The standard Oil company has also done that.  

Technology has influenced various aspects of society due to its advocacy for easier access to local, national, and worldwide markets. For example, the Internet may be accessed everywhere thanks to Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) technology. In the market for local area networks, Wi-Fi is one option. It's essentially a method of transmitting data wirelessly between computers and other devices. Wi-Fi has a considerable influence and is transforming the globe rapidly. There are no modems or cables needed to connect companies to the Internet to stream and receive all kinds of broadband video and multimedia content from anywhere globally. The two-way movement of business data allows them to be completely mobile. In addition to the ease of mobility, employees and other professionals who travel to meet with clients may access corporate resources and receive and send emails from wherever they are. The technological aspects of this and the use of various social media platforms and cultural platforms are some of the ways social and cultural movements affect the workforce of Standard Oil Company. 

The latest movement that emerged, Black Lives Matter, is an example of a social and cultural movement that led to changes in the workforce of Standard Oil Company. The black employees in the organization felt that they should be heard and their needs addressed just as the white employees. It is important to note that the movement was formed due to a world event in which a cop killed an African American without any reason. Therefore, it is essential to conclude that world events are related to or are the ones that give rise to cultural and social movements that lead to various changes in the workforce trends of Standard Oil Company, just as in other companies or organizations. 

Labor Movements 

Labor movements play a significant role in influencing the activities of the workforce of Standard Oil Company. The necessity to safeguard workers' interests as a group sparked the birth of the Labor movements in the United States. Organized labor unions pushed for higher salaries, acceptable hours, and safer workplace conditions for people in the industrial sector. The fact that labor movements help facilitate a safer workplace for Standard Oil Company implies several positive changes in the company's workforce. Investing in equipment and training promotes morale and productivity in the workplace when wages are higher. Everyone gains when the needs of employees are met. It is not a given that there will be enmity between business and organized labor. 

However, employers might lose interest in employee safety if they regard people as expendable. The absence of a union may also leave employees without a representative to speak on their behalf with management over safety concerns. The necessity for cooperation becomes increasingly apparent as workplaces grow more orderly. With the proper training and equipment, Standard Oil can make a steady staff more productive and efficient while also increasing worker safety and productivity (Peck, 2021). As a result, labor unions increasingly recognize that firms must be customer-focused and competitive to be successful. The fact that Standard Oil employs unionized workers and pays them a livable salary might be a competitive advantage in the petroleum sector. 

A labor movement's core activity is collective bargaining. Workers in Standard Oil Company, such as its staff, collectively negotiate to improve their bargaining clout. An individual industrial worker may believe that a new safety precaution should be adopted, but they may not have the authority to persuade their employer to do so. It is more likely that the firm will implement the new measure if the entire staff is aware of its importance and works together to pressure management. Individual employees' opinions may be heard and made a goal for the whole labor union by joining together in a labor union. Unionized employees often elect representatives to represent their interests to the union. 

Organized labor implies the scenario in which labor is provided through various unions with various employees. The actions and associations of employees in a trade or sector to better working conditions via their collective action, known as trade unionism. As a result of organized labor, Standard Oil's human resources department has to be highly knowledgeable (Peck, 2021). There should be at least one employee with management authority who is well-versed in employee relations and labor-management interactions in small organizations with no HR departments. However, no one is aware of the differences between the two or how to strike a balance between the two, as even in a union shop, HR is responsible for non-union employment tasks. Labor-management interactions in a unionized workplace have certain complexities absent in nonunion workplaces. 

A management rights provision is a common feature of most collective bargaining agreements. Essentially, the paragraph on management rights states that Standard Oil Company management has the authority to run the firm however it sees appropriate and makes choices in the best interest of the company Managerial freedom is granted by the Standard Oil Company's management rights provision although only to a limited extent. The collective bargaining agreement removes management's autonomy in making decisions about recognition, performance, and reward for union employees in an environment where labor union representation exists. In Standard Oil Company, managers are barred from rewarding outstanding work performance with a pay raise based on their judgment. Having a labor union has the effect of dictating when employees are given raises. 

A union increase is given to all employees at the same time and the same amount, regardless of their performance. Step-by-step procedures for dealing with and resolving employee complaints are common in most labor union contracts or collective bargaining agreements. Because of a labor union, Standard Oil Company cannot handle employee difficulties without going through the grievance procedure. Suppose an employee is unhappy with a disciplinary warning and has evidence to back up his claim. In that case, the union contract prevents an employee from discussing the issue with their coworker and negotiating a mutually acceptable resolution to the problem. Instead, Standard Oil Company followed the grievance process laid forth in the union contract to settle the employee's concern (Setiawan, 2018). As a result, this significantly impacts Standard Oil Company's personnel. 

Workforce Membership 

A flexible work environment is more than just a great perk for employees. They have a positive impact on productivity, staff retention, and loyalty. Of those who plan to stay with their present employment for at least five years, 55% believe they have greater freedom regarding where and when they work than three years ago, according to a study by Standard Oil Company. Just 35 percent of those who want to depart during the next two years are planning to go (Reynold, 2019). An organization may lose its personnel and development possibilities by not recruiting and engaging the shifting workforce. The act of recruiting and engaging various employee shifts is called workforce membership. Because of bad practices, seasonal workers may leave the company, and contractors may feel isolated from the business, preventing them from making a meaningful impact. To encourage remote employees, they need to feel connected and part of a team. 

Since Standard Oil Company can adapt to suit the requirements of today's workforce, it is likely to gain benefits. The Standard Oil Company's workplace culture promotes increased productivity and employee involvement and boosts personal well-being, health, and pleasure. There is a lot of competition for talented resources, which gives the players an advantage: they may negotiate essential benefits, such as flexible work schedules and alternate work arrangements. Employers and Standard Oil Company alike profit from this shift in the workforce. The company's possibilities alter as the nature of employment shifts. Using alternate jobs, Standard Oil Company can access new markets, fulfill seasonal demand, uncover fresh knowledge and talent, and save resources (Setiawan, 2018). There is no secret sauce for the perfect team in today's workforce paradigm, but that's the beauty of it: personnel can be tailored to any firm. 

Also, Standard Oil Company provides workforce membership to all the employees despite the differences that may exist among them. The main differences may be because of various factors, for example, age, skills, gender, and family. Both male and female employees are provided with membership by the organization. Furthermore, no discrimination exists in terms of any of the above aspects or factors. This non-discrimination in the workplace makes the employees united, and every activity is done collectively. This implies that the employees will give their best when doing their work, and the workforce will be united towards achieving a common goal, ensuring productivity, and enabling Standard Oil Company to achieve its various objectives or goals. 

Workforce Protection 

First, it is essential to note that the fact that workforce protection implies or incorporates various aspects. Some of the factors incorporated under workforce protection include laws to be followed, wages, retirement, workplace safety, and healthcare. Standard Oil Company has put in place various amenities in the company to help the employees. One of the facilities is healthcare facilities. The company ensures that the employees access the healthcare they deserve. In case of any injuries in the organization, the employees can easily access healthcare services. Healthcare systems cannot function without the doctors, nurses, and other health care providers who work in the trenches on the front lines of patient care. Government officials worldwide are therefore highly concerned with concerns like whether they have enough experts, whether their abilities are properly taught and utilized, and whether they are suitably divided across nations and within countries. 

The expenses of health insurance, sick days, disability payments, and worker's compensation may all be reduced by 25% with a well-thought-out wellness program for employees. According to a recent study, 98% of employees who had regular preventative health screenings said they felt better about their job and personal lives as a result (Lamoreaux, 2019). A strong employee benefits package should take a more holistic and humanistic approach to healthcare. People want to feel appreciated and cared for at work. Medical consultation services or web chats that address healthcare questions in real-time can go a long way toward raising employee morale and retaining talent. In today's highly competitive employment market, that's a tall order. 

Standard Oil Company's enhanced profitability and competitiveness may be attributed to its ability to provide its employees with the most valuable advantages. It's past time for Indian corporations to devise a long-term strategy for reducing the amount they spend on employee perks. Also, providing the employees with wages in time and retirement benefits play a significant role in influencing the work and the workforce of Standard Oil Company. Additionally, Standard Oil Company also ensures workplace safety. All these factors are substantial to employees. The employees in the company thus feel that the company truly cares about them. Consequently, the employees strive to give their all in its activities. This implies that the work rate in the organization will be high, and so will the quality of the workforce in Standard Oil Company. 

The Future of Standard Oil Workplace 

The future of Standard Oil Company's workplace is projected to change for the better. One of the aspects that are projected to dominate the future workplace is artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is a computer science area that deals with giving various machines the ability to seem or look like they possess human intelligence. This implies that most of the work will be done by the machines. Also, it is essential to note that artificial intelligence in the company will majorly include robots. Furthermore, the kind of skills that are likely to be required by Standard Oil Company will change in the future. The company will mainly hire people with professional skills as most of the work will be done by robots. The use of artificial intelligence implies automation sustainability in the company. 

Pre- and Post-Pandemic Effects on Standard Oil Workforce 

Before the pandemic, Standard Oil company had a steady workforce with the people with the required skills and knowledge at the various positions of the company. The employees worked hard to ensure that the company achieved its projected short-term and long-term goals. However, the onset of the pandemic changed the norm in the workplace. Several employees were laid off, and only those who had to be in the company were there (Jain & Oommen, 2020). There was the need to keep up with the World Health Organization regulations on Covid-19, for example, social distancing. Consequently, several employees were forced to go on leave, and others worked from home. This significantly reduced the workforce's morale, and many employees felt disadvantages. 

References 

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