"Nissan: Saying Sayonara"

Business Week, September 24, 2001

Synopsis:
The closing case of Chapter 6 describes Honda's strategic choices of investing in the U.S as a way of circumventing the threat of protectionist trade legislation and coping with the sharp rise in the value of the Japanese yen against the US dollar. This article provides an update of the case by introducing the recent decision by Nissan to close plants and cut jobs at home. The decision has become a symbol of the new order in Japan. The weak home market and strong demand for Japanese models in North America are forcing Nissan and its Japanese rivals to do what they postponed for so long. This article also explains why the decision should be a hard lesson not only for Nissan but also its rivals, their workers, and Japan itself.

Full-text Article:
http://www.businessweek.com:/print/magazine/content/01_39/b3750044.htm?mainwindow

Case connection:
"Honda in North America" in Chapter 6 (pp.203-204).