The Renault-Nissan alliance, established in March 1999, is the first industrial and commercial partnership of its kind involving a French and a Japanese company. The Alliance invested more than 1...

The Renault-Nissan alliance, established in March 1999, is the first industrial and commercial partnership of its kind involving a French and a Japanese company. The Alliance invested more than 1 billion rand in upgrading Nissan’s manufacturing plant in Rosslyn, outside Pretoria, to increase output and produce the Nissan NP200 pickup and the Renault Sandero for the South African market. Visit the Renault-Nissan website at http://www. renault.com to see where factories reside for each car group. Compare and contrast the similarities and differences in these markets. Then answer these three questions: (1) How do you think cultural differences affect the way the firm operates in South Africa and in the United States? (2) In what way is culture a factor in auto sales? (3) Is it possible for a car company to transcend national culture and produce a global automobile that is accepted by people in every culture? Why or why not?