United Kingdom Culture

7/28/2019 United Kingdom Culture

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The United Kingdom is comprised of

four countries: England, Scotland,

Wales, and Northern Ireland.

the populations of these four nations

63,182,000 (2011)


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The British have been historically known for their

stiff upper lip and blitz spirit as demonstrated

during the German bombings of World War II

The British are very reserved and private people.

Privacy is extremely important. The British will not

necessarily give you a tour of their home and, infact, may keep most doors closed. They expect

others to respect their privacy. This extends to not

asking personal questions. The question, Where

are you from? may be viewed as an attempt toplace the person on the social or class scale.

Even close friends do not ask pointedly personal

questions, particularly pertaining to ones financial

situation or relationships


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Formerly a very homogenous society,

since World War II, Britain has become

increasingly diverse as it hasaccommodated large immigrant

populations, particularly from its former

colonies such as India, Pakistan and

the West Indies


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The handshake is the common form of greeting.

The British might seem a little stiff and formal at first.

Avoid prolonged eye contact as it makes people feel

uncomfortable.

There is still some protocol to follow when introducing

people in a business or more formal social situation.This is often a class distinction, with the 'upper class'

holding on to the long-standing traditions:

Introduce a younger person to an older person.

Introduce a person of lower status to a person of higher

status.When two people are of similar age and rank, introduce

the one you know better to the other person.


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The British exchange gifts between family members and

close friends for birthdays and Christmas.

The gift need not be expensive, but it should usually

demonstrate an attempt to find something that related tothe recipients interests.

If invited to someone's home, it is normal to take along a

box of good chocolates, a good bottle of wine or flowers.

Gifts are opened when received.


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Unlike many European cultures, the British enjoy

entertaining in people their homes.

Although the British value punctuality, you may arrive 10-

15 minutes later than invited to dinner. However, if going to

a restaurant be on time.

Table manners are Continental, i.e. the fork is held in the

left hand and the knife in the right while eating.

The fork is held tines down so food is scooped on to the

back of the fork. This is a skill that takes time to master.

Remain standing until invited to sit down. You may be

shown to a particular seat.

Do not rest your elbows on the table.


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If you have not finished eating, cross your

knife and fork on your plate with the fork over

the knife.

Indicate you have finished eating by layingyour knife and fork parallel across the right

side of your plate.

Toasts are given at formal meals.

When in a pub, it is common practice to payfor a round of drinks for everyone in your

group.

If invited to a meal at a restaurant, the person

extending the invitation usually pays. Do notargue about the check; simply reciprocate at a

later time


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A firm handshake is the norm; there are no issues over

gender in the UK.

People shake upon meeting and leaving.

Maintain eye contact during the greeting but avoid

anything prolonged.

Most people use the courtesy titles or Mr, Mrs or Missand their surname.

Wait until invited before moving to a first-name basis.

People under the age of 35 may make this move more

rapidly than older British.

Business cards are exchanged at the initial introductionwithout formal ritual.

The business card may be put away with only a cursory

glance so dont be offended if not much attention is paid

to it


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The British have an interesting mix of communication

styles encompassing both understatement and direct

communication. Many older businesspeople or those

from the 'upper class' rely heavily upon formal use ofestablished protocol. Most British are masters of

understatement and do not use effusive language. If

anything, they have a marked tendency to use

qualifiers such as 'perhaps', possibly or 'it could be'.

When communicating with people they see as equal to

themselves in rank or class, the British are direct, but

modest. If communicating with someone they know well,

their style may be more informal, although they will still

be reserved.


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Written communication follows strict rules of

protocol. How a letter is closed varies

depending upon how well the writer knows the

recipient. Written communication is alwaysaddressed using the person's title and their

surname. First names are not generally used

in written communication, unless you know the

person well.

E-mail is now much more widespread,

however the communication style remains

more formal, at least initially, than in many

other countries. Most British will not use slangor abbreviations and will think negatively if

your communication appears overly familiar.


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The British can be quite formal and sometimes prefer to

work with people and companies they know or who are

known to their associates. The younger generation

however is very different; they do not need long-

standing personal relationships before they do business

with people and do not require an intermediary to make

business introductions. Nonetheless, networking and

relationship building are often key to long-term business

success.

Most British look for long-term relationships with people

they do business with and will be cautious if you appear

to be going after a quick deal.


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If you plan to use an agenda, be sure to forward it to

your British colleagues in sufficient time for them toreview it and recommend any changes.

Punctuality is important in business situations. In most

cases, the people you are meeting will be on time. Scots

are extremely punctual. Call if you will be even 5

minutes later than agreed. Having said that, punctuality

is often a matter of personal style and emergencies do

arise. If you are kept waiting a few minutes, do not make

an issue of it. Likewise, if you know that you will be late

it is a good idea to telephone and offer your apologies.


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How meetings are conducted is often determined by the

composition of people attending:

If everyone is at the same level, there is generally a free

flow of ideas and opinions.

If there is a senior ranking person in the room, thatperson will do most of the speaking.

In general, meetings will be rather formal:

Meetings always have a clearly defined purpose, which

may include an agenda.

There will be a brief amount of small talk before getting

down to the business at hand.


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If you make a presentation, avoid making exaggerated

claims.

Make certain your presentation and any materials

provided appear professional and well thought out.

Be prepared to back up your claims with facts and

figures. The British rely on facts, rather than emotions,

to make decisions.

Maintain eye contact and a few feet of personal space.

After a meeting, send a letter summarizing what was

decided and the next steps to be taken.

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