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The successful one was led by Carlos Ghosn, who pulled together Renault and Nissan. Ghosn created a sense of urgency with his Nissan Revival Plan - always important in an acquisition, but especially important in a culture such as Japan's, where senior managers tend to keep important information from their subordinates.

Ghosn won the trust of Nissan's managers, who in turn helped to motivate the rest of the organisation. He put his job on the line, saying that he would resign if the targets were not met. This impressive leadership style was not mirrored by Rolf Eckrodt, who was charged with integrating DaimlerChrysler and Mitsubishi.

Eckrodt failed to establish himself as the undisputed leader in the eyes of the Japanese. He chose to imitate Renault Nissan's cross-company, cross-divisional organisation, but could not drive through the change. DaimlerChrysler pulled out following high losses.

Integration management of western acquisitions in Japan

Asian Business & Management, Vol 6 No 1, March 2007