Strongly influenced by its own cultural orientations, when thrust into a situation that demands
a decision, for instance, each group is apt to make false assumptions about members of the other
group. Asians will possibly overestimate a Westerner’s concern about his group’s response to an
issue, while a Westerner is likely to assume a greater degree of independence on the part of an
Asian with whom he or she is negotiating. This point is clearly made by Foster: “At the negotiating
table, differences in this dimension can clearly cause serious conflict. Individual responsibility for
making decisions is easy in individualistic cultures; in group oriented cultures this can be different.
Americans too often expect their Japanese counterparts to make decisions right at the negotiating
table, and the Japanese are constantly surprised to find individual members of the American team
promoting their own positions, decisions, and ideas, sometimes openly contradicting one
another”