Renault-Nissan Alliance overcame crisis, redefined collaboration
Nissan and Honda announced fusion recently. The Renault-Nissan Alliance, which had existed since 1999, is usually described as having come to an end by the close of 2023. Common structures, such as the jointly created purchasing company, are dissolved. However, the relationship between the two companies continues (along with the third partner, Mitsubishi) in the form of collaborative projects.
How can we understand the end of the Alliance combined with a relationship that persists through projects? To explain this phenomenon, it is necessary to analyze the overall dynamics of the relationship, from its origins to the crisis it has undergone.
The Renault-Nissan strategic alliance, forged in 1999, has been a subject of extensive study, particularly as it faced a major crisis in 2018. The arrest in Japan of Alliance CEO Carlos Ghosn and Nissan board member Greg Kelly on charges of misuse of corporate assets and tax fraud shook the partnership to its core.
Yet, the alliance endured, with Mitsubishi joining as a third partner. Understanding its trajectory – its operations pre-crisis, the turmoil of the crisis, and its survival – required a fresh lens. We sought to provide such insights by interviewing key stakeholders in France and Japan, culminating in our research published in the journal M@n@gement.
The foundations of the Renault-Nissan alliance
Initially dubbed “The Alliance” by its founders, the Renault-Nissan partnership can be assessed through strategic alliance theory, which emphasises three core principles:
- Complementarity: Alliances thrive when partners possess complementary capabilities.
- Relational capital: Trust and collaboration deepen over time, fostering a seamless working relationship.
- Learning dynamics: As