Working in UK - A report

Résumé du document

Culture and inter-cultural relationships are current issues in business as in everyday life. When considering working with foreign people, it is essential to take cultural differences into account and to behave the right way. To what extent do intercultural relationships influence businesses in the United Kingdom? Culture can be defined as "all the ways of life including arts, beliefs, institutions of a population that are passed down from generation to generation" , so it includes "codes of manners, dress, language, religion, rituals, norms of behavior such as law and morality, and systems of belief as well as the art". In the case of United Kingdom, it is difficult to identify one single culture since it is composed of four countries (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland).

Extraits

[...] “Stiff upper “Stiff upper is a term often used to describe British expressions when people are in a difficult situation. It shows how reserved and undemonstrative British people can be. When doing business, British people never show a glimpse of emotions. Detachment and formality are required. It is important to let some space to people too because British people are not comfortable with proximity. A little distance is maintained between people. When it comes to a conversation between two people at the same level (rank or social class), they can be more informal and direct. [...]

[...] This is how people introduce themselves to someone. It is a sign of politeness and courtesy. Moreover, during the handshaking process, you have to keep eye-contact with the person but once it is done, you should stop right after or the person could feel uncomfortable. Another way to greet someone is to tell him: do you This is not a question as foreign people would probably think but a greeting. The person is expecting you to answer back with do you too. [...]

[...] Succeeding as a team is more important than individual achievement. Wages and paid leave Wages The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, reintroduced a minimum wage a few years ago. In October 2006, the minimum wage was: - for young teenagers (16-17) - for young people (18-21) - (approximately for adults The minimum wage is quite low compared to the high standard of living of the United Kingdom. However, Tony Blair wanted it to be low enough so that employment would not be held back. [...]

[...] In the UK, excessive enthusiasm is not appreciated, so you should not gush. After the meeting You should send a business report summarizing the decisions taken during the meeting and the next steps. Decision-making process Importance of objective, facts and results British people do rely on facts more than emotions when they make decisions. For them, the only legitimate form of persuasion is based on solid evidence and objective facts. Moreover, for British businessmen, results are more important than the application of a strict process. [...]

[...] She should also always dress conservatively. Conclusion Knowing about intercultural practices and management is essential when you want to work abroad or when you are doing business with foreigners. As you are not expected to behave and communicate the same way in France or in the UK, your success abroad will partly depend on your ability to be open- minded and to adapt to the other culture. However, even though it helps a lot to read about it before any immersion, the best way to learn about intercultural communication is the job”. [...]