Nissan Motors Co. CEO Carlos Ghosn made sure executives were feeling executives' pain this year after the company underperformed both Honda Motors and Toyota Motors. The chief executive eliminated bonuses for top executives, including himself, last year after profits dropped substantially. The move pleased many shareholders who are glad to finally see some accountability in the boardroom.

"It was a good move by Ghosn to show shareholders and employees that he will hold top management responsible for missing sales and profit targets," said Yoshihiro Okumura, who helps oversee Chiba-gin Asset Management Co. in Tokyo. "Clearly, Ghosn had too much on his plate both trying to improve Nissan and Renault's performance."