1. In what ways is Carlos Ghosn a visionary leader? What traits does he possess that are typical of a visionary leader?
2. What is the nature of Nissan’s international strategy? Is the firm’s strategy primarily multidomestic or global? Justify your answer. What advantages does Nissan derive from the particular strategy(s) that it pursues? In what ways does Nissan demonstrate efficiency, flexibility, and learning?
3. Describe Nissan’s organizational culture. What are the characteristics of Nissan’s culture? In what ways has Carlos Ghosn contributed to Nissan’s culture? Elaborate.
4. Global firms pursue a relatively centralized approach to international operations. What are the characteristics of the trend toward global integration of company operations? How does Nissan demonstrate these characteristics?
5. Examine Nissan in terms of the integration responsiveness framework. What are the pressures that Nissan faces for local responsiveness? What are the pressures that Nissan faces for global integration? What advantages do local responsiveness and global integration each bring to Nissan?

Nissan Motor Co. (www.nissan-global.com ), based in Tokyo, is Japan’s number-two automobile manufacturer. Sales in 2009 were nearly $90 billion, and management is planning to launch forty-eight new car models. A few years ago, Nissan, with 160,000 employees, was on the verge of bankruptcy. The French automaker Renault stepped in, took a 44 percent stake, and installed Carlos Ghosn as Nissan’s CEO. In a dramatic turnaround, Ghosn (hard G, rhymes with “stone”) returned Nissan to profitability and became a celebrity in Japan