NEW YORK (Kyodo) Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan Motor Co., emphasized the benefits of globalization during a gathering here Tuesday.
"Diversity is truly a wealth, not a handicap," he said in a speech at a New York hotel. "Being global and cross-cultural is the way to do business, not just for moral reasons, but for business reasons.
"It is about speed, understanding, efficiency and, ultimately, performance," he told an audience of 600 people at an annual Japan Society dinner.
"It is a requirement of business."
Ghosn, credited with Nissan's astonishing revival, said Japan should not be easily written off, despite the negative aspects of its economy.
"I believe it is a mistake to evaluate Japan solely on the basis of its recent economic stalemate," he said.
"There is more to Japan than deflation and bad loans. Capital is available and plentiful. Japan is a technological powerhouse."
Ghosn is scheduled to leave as head of Nissan's Japanese operations to run its operations in the highly competitive North American market.
"Education levels are high, he said.
"And Japan has a workforce that is among the best on Earth."
Ghosn said the benefits of globalization outweigh its drawbacks.
"A multicultural environment is filled with opportunities," he said.
"Benefits are gained in open exchange.
"You do not learn much from people who are exactly like you. You learn the most from interacting with people whose makeup is different from your own -- from people with a different background, age, language, education or social experience."