Geert Hofstede - In most collectivist cultures, direct confrontation of another person is...

In most collectivist cultures, direct confrontation of another person is considered rude and undesirable. The word is seldom used, because saying no is a confrontation; you may be right and we will think about it are examples of polite ways of turning down a request. In the same vein, the word yes should not necessarily be inferred as an approval, since it is used to maintain the line of communication: yes, I heard you is the meaning it has in Japan.