Stalking the factory floor of Renault SA's plant here last month, Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn reminded managers of the car maker's commitment to boost its profit margin by 50 percent by 2009.
"Commitment is a strong word," one manager piped up, "and circumstances have changed" since the marching orders were delivered earlier this year.
"It's not a target," snapped Mr. Ghosn, who considers the profit-margin increase mandatory. "Either management performs or it's out -- and that applies to me as well."
Mr. Ghosn's accept-no-excuses attitude, his tendency to insert himself into the smallest aspects of his business and his celebrated turnaround of Tokyo-based Nissan Motor Co. have made him the closest thing the auto industry has to a rock star. Earlier this week, he was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth for Nissan's contributions to the British economy.
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