pl read the following WSJ article (Dec 15/20) begining "Volkswagen Board backs " discussing VW's future plans . Pl answer the following questions .

1 Do you agree with VW's plans to emphasize electric cars ?

2. What impact do labor representatives (representing unions and sitting on VW's board ) have on VW 's decision making process ?

3 How would you enhance VW's global marketing ?

WSJ Article

BERLIN Volkswagen AG VOW -1.74% shares rose nearly 8% on Tuesday after the car maker's top shareholders and union leaders publicly backed Chief Executive Herbert Diess's strategy to refocus the company on electric vehicles.

The action by the company's directors late Monday, including confirming several top appointments by Mr. Diess, put an end to weeks of internal wrangling over the pace of change at the world's biggest auto maker by sales. The CEO's push to accelerate the shift to electric cars and quickly fill empty executive positions had met opposition from labor leaders, who under German law hold half the seats on Volkswagen's board of directors.

"Everyone is grateful for the clear strategy that Diess is pursuing," said Hiltrud Werner, a management board member who restructured the company's compliance and legal departments in the wake of the so-called dieselgate scandal. "He has the support of all the people on the board."

Volkswagen's travails have highlighted the pressure confronting global car makers, from General Motors to Toyota, as they seek to meet the challenge of reducing carbon emissions. The transformation required is having far-reaching effects on production processes, jobs and even the economy of entire regions. The change among incumbent auto makers is being driven both by tighter emissions regulation and increased competition from a new breed of all-electric startups.

The deal reached by Volkswagen's directors "puts an end, at least for the moment, to the excessive frictions between management and other key stakeholders," said Arndt Ellinghorst, senior auto analyst at Bernstein Research. "Yesterday's resolutions clarify management's mandate and offer an opportunity to focus on VW's fundamental matters."

In recent weeks, German media had reported that Mr. Diess was seeking an early extension of his contract as a vote of confidence from the board. The company's board includes the Porsche family, who are the controlling shareholders, and the state premier of Lower Saxony, which holds a 20% blocking minority, as well as the Qatar Investment Authority. Neither Mr. Diess nor Volkswagen would confirm the reports.

Chairman Hans Dieter Ptsch met all of the players separately over the weekend, people familiar with the situation said, brokering a compromise in which the board would make a clear statement of support for Mr. Diess and his strategy and back his candidates to fill open positions on the executive board.

As a concession to the labor side, Mr. Diess agreed to make the company's main plant in Wolfsburg, Germany, a model factory for building the most advanced electric vehiclesa move that would secure thousands of jobs for the next decade.

"For us it is of decisive importance that Herbert Diess with his new management team will continue to shape this important era at Volkswagen," Wolfgang Porsche and Hans Michael Piech, heads of the Porsche-Piech clan, said after the meeting.

In the summer, Bernd Osterloh, head of Volkswagen's powerful works council and a member of the supervisory board, persuaded other directors to strip the CEO of responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the VW brand, the company's biggest business. That conflict left Mr. Diess uncertain about how much support he had from the board, according to people familiar with the situation.

After Monday's decisions, Mr. Osterloh said there was total agreement between the supervisory board, executive board, and labor representatives. Mr. Diess was relieved that the conflict had been put to rest and that the new board members would be able to take up their jobs soon, one person close to him said.

The board appointed Arno Antlitz to succeed Frank Witter as chief finance officer in June. Mr. Antlitz is currently finance chief at Audi, Volkswagen's luxury car unit. The board also approved Mr. Diess's plan to split board responsibilities for purchasing and components manufacturing and creating a new position, appointing Thomas Schmall, current head of the components business, as chief technology officer. Murat Aksel, currently purchasing chief at the VW brand, will take on additional responsibilities as purchasing chief for the entire Volkswagen company.