Just copy pasting from a website about the difference in approach between east and west. Such topics have been a debate of discussion on CD at regular frequency.
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I 100% agree with you that an engineer should work within the bounds of his expertise and knowledge. But unfortunately in the part of the world where I live, you can only be counted if you are a 'know-it-all' even if that is half-baked. People in this part of the world consider the phrase "I don't know" as heresy. This is very unfortunate but this is what the fact is. I have worked with a lot of counterparts from the west & I have many a times heard them say that they don't know the answer and I should better ask an expert or specialist. While initially it sounded brutally rude & intimidating (because of my eastern background) on deeper contemplation it was very honest & that is how it should be in real life.

Well on the lighter side, I would prefer to be honest like that, but only when in my part of the world there will be social security payouts.

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As a child in my house I was taught not to say no & totally forbidden to say "I cannot help you". It was considered as being rude and callous. So, when I was a newcomer to the industry as a young man in his early twenties and when I had my first opportunity to deal with people from the west who were frank enought to say 'I don't know' & 'I cannot help you', it was a big culture shock for me. However, over the period of time I could understand the underlying sentiment of basic honesty and the fact that you need not be a know-it-all not only to survive but also thrive.

It has been a long time since those initial days and today I have no hesitation in admitting that it is absolutely OK not to know something but it is totally unscruplous on anybody's part to pretend to know something and misguide somebody who is asking for help. All the more so where safety and livelihood of people are at stake.

I suppose at a very young age you are too presumptious about life & people.

In a business environment, I simply look at it as a cultural difference and exercise caution. For example, when you have a conf call with businesses in India or Mexico, it is normal to hear them say, "no problem" for almost anything you ask or pose. There have been times we have been burned interpreting them as there are no problems (wow, everything is hunky dory) as opposed to, "yes, I understand, I will work on it and report back".

Once we start understanding the nuance... then...no problems

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Dimple2001