On July 7, General Motors’ board of directors voted to study the pros and cons of entering into a three-way alliance with automakers Nissan and Renault. The alliance was proposed by GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian who sees it as a way to revive the struggling company and expedite the restructuring taking place under GM’s current chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner. Another central figure in this drama is Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault, who is credited with turning around Nissan and who is seen by Kerkorian and others as holding the keys to GM’s future. What would a three-way alliance mean for GM, and for the auto industry in general? Wharton management professor John Paul MacDuffie spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about the potential deal. There is plenty to be skeptical about when it comes to blending these organizations, MacDuffie says — but Ghosn, he notes, is a voice worth listening to. “I have enough respect for Carlos Ghosn to want to hear his vision of what this could be,” MacDuffie says.…