They allege that the failure to effectively investigate and address the wrongdoing by employees of NotW and its parent division, News International, when it first came to light six years ago is part of a broader pattern of lax corporate governance and self-dealing at News Corp.

FORBES: News Corp. Shareholders in Class Action Over Hacking

Major Japanese companies have, historically, been reluctant to bring outsiders into the boardroom, a pattern that many corporate-governance experts have said has led to insular management and a number of high-profile corporate scandals in recent years.

WSJ: Toyota Overhauls Management