The Economic Costs of Not Being Able to Say "No"
Let's start out with a bit of stereotyping: Asian culture is a culture that frowns upon outright, declared refusals. Because people are taught, in schools, in homes, and social occasions, to focus on maintaining harmonious, non-intrusive, and non-confrontational relationships, people have tendency to say "maybe," "I will think about it," or even "yes" and they play along with the situation uncomfortably just to avoid awkward situations in which they have to openly reject the what they interpret as well-meaning offers made by others.