Nissan-Renault Alliance Oral History: Employment and Labor-Management Relations in the Era of Global Alliances

2021/05/26

The recently published "Nissan-Renault Alliance Oral History," which I co-authored with friends from within and outside Keio, is the third installment in our oral history series, following two previous works focused on Nikkeiren documents. Oral history is "spoken history," where interviews with individuals who experienced significant historical events are preserved as records for future generations. This time, we recorded the testimonies of six individuals involved in Renault's 1999 capital injection into Nissan (referred to as the alliance). What happens to employment and labor-management relations, typified by long-term employment, when a Japanese company becomes "foreign-owned"? Based on this awareness, the testimonies obtained from those involved regarding employment adjustments following the closure of the Murayama Plant, cross-functional teams, corporate restructuring through MBO, and new systems for product development are valuable resources. This book sets itself apart from topical news such as Carlos Ghosn's escape or the internal politics of Nissan and Renault.

Through this publication, I was deeply reminded of how crucial it is for the interviewer and interviewee to communicate smoothly and build a relationship of trust in oral history. Since the "arrest drama" at Haneda Airport on November 19, 2018, the public perception of Carlos Ghosn has changed completely. It is literally "Heaven and Hell"—though I am not referring to the movie title.

Of course, there is only one historical fact. It is unrelated to Mr. Ghosn's arrest. However, regardless of the logic, this point actually affects the position of the contributors. As E.H. Carr famously said, "History is a dialogue between the present and the past." While internal reports were one thing, many of the contributors hesitated about publication. "The evaluation of the alliance 20 years ago is not directly related to the current situation. Let us preserve these valuable statements for future generations." After repeated requests via phone and email, six out of the eight people we asked for testimonies agreed to the publication. I am truly grateful and wish to express my heartfelt thanks.

By the way, because this book contains testimonies from multiple people involved in the alliance, the results are not necessarily consistent. While the participants may believe their own statements are the most accurate, as a researcher, my intellectual curiosity is piqued by the resolution of these contradictions. I would like to leave the uncovering of the truth to the readers.

Nissan-Renault Alliance Oral History: Employment and Labor-Management Relations in the Era of Global Alliances

Atsushi Yashiro (Co-editor)

Keio University Press

320 pages, 3,960 yen (tax included)

*Affiliations, titles, etc., are as of the time of publication.