Carlos Ghosn: The CEO Who Rescued an Auto Manufacturer & Created a Successful Alliance - Essay Sample

Introduction

Carlos Ghosn has been a well-recognized and adored C.E.Os in the automobile industry. He rescued Renault, a French auto manufacturer, when it bought shares in Nissan and sent him to Japan. He reconstructed a successful worldwide alliance between Renault and Nissan as he headed the two companies simultaneously. He successfully did this by first reducing the number of employees by laying them off and applying the “profit-at-all expense” scheme. Nissan’s profits were more compared to those of Renault, even though the latter was the senior partner.

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Following accusations of financial misconduct, Ghosn was arrested while in Japan. Nissan is seeking approximately $93 million payback that it claims Ghosn lost through malpractices and fraud. He was accused of using the company’s money for his personal use. He managed to break out of custody and announced that he had purposed to regain his reputation. Despite his legal problems, there have been speculations of the shape that he left Nissan in.

Who is responsible for the downfall?

In less than three years after Ghosn surrendered the executive position at Nissan, it has deteriorated so fast. Its revenue and profits have dropped globally. Last year, Nissan sales declined by ten per cent in the U.S. Renault, too, has registered its first annual loss in a decade. Mitsubishi succumbed to its operating losses as it experienced reduced income, and loss of foreign exchange. The alliance financial capabilities have declined, registering losses.

However, Analysts and administrators in the industry blame Ghosn for this calamity. When he was in leadership, he aggressively centred on the expansion of the company at the expense of the fundamentals. To increase the sales, the managers resulted in dubious activities that segregated the Nissan car dealers. A franchise owner says that no one has called lately asking for Nissan merchandise. He adds that Ghosn had ambitious targets that resulted in temporarily good status but was unreal. He built a house of cards that affected the company’s pricing capabilities, residue income from the cars, and the brand’s image.

How did the alliance fall?

To stimulate expansion, Nissan came up with new designs and ambitious incentives that caused unrealistic sales targets and harsh terms for marketers. Nissan preferred a stair-step incentive tactic whereby they gave cash rebates to marketers rather than giving customers discounts. The marketers received the tangible bonuses only after they hit the sales targets. It was either all or nothing. A dealer in Georgia says that they initially made massive gains. Although, as their goals were raised yearly, it became impossible for the dealers to hit the target. Like in 2017, the goal was to claim eight percent of worldwide shares and achieve a similar percentage for the operating profit margin. These unrealistic goals led to the downfall of Nissan.

Why did the alliance decline?

The dealers frequently overpriced the cars in order to meet the goals. This pissed off many clients when they discovered the actual price of the vehicle. Some dealers opted to buy the cars themselves, used them for a few months, then sold them a used cars. In 2015, most of the dealers were making losses. Regardless of how massive the economy was, they had to sell their businesses. Looking at AutoNation, quite a big dealership organization, but it had only succeeded in selling ten cars in four years. Nissan’s main products are sedans and compacts, but American residents are opting for trucks and utility cars which have more gains. Thereby, the unrealistic goals are responsible for the decline.

When did the downfall begin?

According to the article, Ghosn insists that Nissan was doing alright when he resigned. Instead, he blames his successor that he handpicked, Hiroto Saikwa, for Nissan's troubles. When Saikawa amended the company's incentive scheme in 2018, the sales crashed. There were lots of unsold Nissan cars. The change of incentive strategy made the merchants to stop giving monthly discounts, yet the clients had been accustomed to shopping for the deal. In six months, the company's revenue dropped by eighty-five percent from the predecessor year. Saikawa, too had to resign after investigations showed that he was paid more than the company owed him.

However, the cracks began when Ghosn was still the chief executive. He was unrealistic and applied overly ambitious incentive techniques. Nissan preferred the stair-step incentive tactic, which is either all or nothing. Initially, they made massive profits. Although, as their goals were raised yearly, it became impossible for the dealers to hit the goal. They resulted in mischievous activities such as overpricing to meet the targets. The downfall began when Ghosn set these unrealistic goals.

Conclusion

Conclusively, Nissan's troubles began mid-decade under the reign of Ghosn. It all started when he was introduced the incentive scheme that demotivated most dealers and discouraged buyers. The decline furthered when Saikawa changed this incentive strategy. The merchants were not open to this change. The current chief executive officer, is working towards mending these wrongs by working towards challenging but attainable goals. For Mitsubishi, redirecting after Ghosn era has greatly assisted it. It has registered increased sales ever since.