Business culture of Great Britain is centuries old, and has its own peculiarities and traditions. British business culture is considered to have contributed greatly to other nations’ business cultures, so it can be called universal. Knowing its fundamental principles can be of great use when doing business with British partners, or in any business relations. Knowledge of business culture of Great Britain will also prove useful for those who want to go abroad on an exchange programme or to study a language. In this article, I will show you that studying business culture of the UK is both useful and exciting.
National Identity
Did you know that the words English and British mean completely different things?
Great Britain or the United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is important not only from the geographical point of view . It is necessary to keep in mind a strong sense of national identity that British people have in common.. When we talk about the United Kingdom (UK), English is not the same as British. English is not used for Scottish or Welsh or Northern Irish people. The Scots themselves prefer the adjective Scots and it also occurs in the compounds Scotsman and Scotswoman.
The short form of British, Brit, is often used as a noun (or less commonly as an adjective) in journalistic style and in informal situations to refer to British people.
In addition, it is worth remembering that Northern Ireland borders the Republic of Ireland – these are different countries. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, Ireland is not. It would be a mistake and almost an insult to call a citizen of Ireland a Briton.
Gestures and Body Language
While studying business culture of the UK, I have discovered some peculiar gestures used by the British.
• Raising eyebrows for example. Germans are very fond of such a gesture, which is used to express their admiration for someone's words. British will take it as a hostile gesture. For them it will mean an expression of a skeptical attitude to any idea.
• When we want to let our interlocutor know that we are listening to him or her, we nod. British will just blink instead without making an eye contact.
• When a citizen of the UK meets you for the first time or says goodbye, he or she will shake your hand. At all other meetings, the British do without handshakes, kisses and hugs, they consider it superfluous.
• If you tap your nose with your index finger, the British will regard this gesture as a call to keep something secret, a conspiracy.
Humor and Business Meetings
Usually, meetings begin with a small conversation, which is called a small talk. It is needed in order to melt the ice and set up the participants in the right way. It is not recommended to talk about personal topics, so as not to invade the privacy of your British colleagues. While the British tend to be quite formal, especially in the initial stages of negotiations, humor is widely used to lighten the situation. It is recommended to reciprocate in order to create a good atmosphere for discussion. The British are known for their "tongue-in-cheek" (ironic) humor, which they can use in business. Humor has long been part of the UK culture, and it will be difficult for a non-native speaker to understand it. The English are very fond of puns, so often their jokes cannot be translated. Consider one of these.
« - What is the longest word in English?
- Smiles. "
In this case, the bottom line is that in the word "smiles" the letter S is visually similar to the number 5, and miles is miles (the English measure of length). That is, the word can be deciphered as "5 miles", and then it really will be the longest. Not every foreigner will understand this joke.
Another feature of British humor can be called demonstrative aristocracy and politeness.
«- There are some people down there, sir.
- Get rid of them.
- But among them is a woman, sir!
- So get rid of them as politely as possible! "
Networking
Networking is an essential part of British business culture. Networking or relationship building can help you find new sales opportunities, provides you with the ability to improve both your communication and presentation skills, gives you access to a wealth of knowledge and experience. Business networking can happen anywhere, but usually it takes place at networking events, trade fairs, conferences and so on.
All in all, knowing the peculiarities of the British business behaviour and traditions will not only demonstrate to your potential business partners your eagerness to follow the rules but also will help make strong and friendly ties which are highly appreciated by the British who are known as conservative and cautious in terms of relationships with the overseas.