the French auto maker appointed Carlos Ghosn to become

In 1999, Nissan was in a state of serious decline and had lost money in all but one of the previous eight years. Only Renaults willingness to assume part of Nissans debt saved the Japanese company from going bankrupt. As part of the deal, the French auto maker appointed Carlos Ghosn to become Nissans chief operating officer. However, there was widespread skepticism that the alliance between Renault and Nissan could succeed, or that someone who was not Japanese could provide effective leadership at Nissan. During the three months prior to assuming the position of COO at Nissan, Ghosnmet with hundreds of people, including employees, union officials, suppliers, and customers,to learn more about the company and its strengths...