Secretive corporate culture contributed to Toyota's woes

A report by Kate Linebaugh, Dionne Searcey and Norihiko Shirouzu of  The Wall Street Journal reveals that a "secretive corporate culture" at Toyota kept the company from reporting and addressing safety issues in a timely manner with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "Its silence with U.S. regulators, and other newly uncovered details from the crisis enveloping Toyota, reveal a growing rift between the Japanese auto maker and NHTSA, one of its top regulators...Its secretive corporate culture in Japan clashed with U.S. requirements that auto makers disclose safety threats, people familiar with the matter say."