MANAGEMENT APPROACH

Management and worker representatives in the United Kingdom are trained to negotiate, form agreements and stick to them.
Bargaining may be hard and prolonged but in the end you can only work with people you can trust and that means with people whose word means something. Performance levels in workplaces are suffering as overbearing and dogmatic management practices top the list of management styles.

Managers tend more towards generalization than specialization. The proposition that the manager needs to be the most technically competent person would receive little support in the UK. A manager is expected to have the interpersonal skills to meld a team together and it is this ability as a 'fixer' which is highly regarded. The British find it difficult to be direct and British managers often give instructions to subordinates in a very indirect way, preferring to request assistance than to be explicit.

BRITISH MEETINGS

Meetings in the UK are frequent. They are often also inconclusive, with the decision of the meeting being that another meeting should be held.

The British themselves often complain about the frequency and length of meetings they must attend.
Little preparation is done for meetings. This is because meetings are often viewed as the forum for the open debate of an issue and that, during that open debate, a route forward will be found. When the route forward is agreed, then the detailed work schedule will be implemented.

BRITISH COMMUNICATION STYLE

The British like to use their diplomatic language. Being very non-confrontational in business situations, the British equate directness with open confrontation and fear that bluntness will offend the other party. In addition to being diplomatic, the British also use language in a coded manner preferring to say unpalatable things using more acceptable, positive phrases. Thus, "I disagree" becomes "I think you have made several excellent points there but have you ever considered.... It is better to be self-deprecating than self-promotional in the UK.

Humor is virtually all-pervasive in business situations. Indeed, the more tense and difficult a situation is, the more likely the British are to use humor to helps to keep situations calm, reserved and non-emotional.

WOMEN IN BUSINESS IN BRITAIN

Women make up a large percentage of the workforce - almost 50% But are often found in low paid and part-time jobs.

Women are more frequently found in managerial positions than in most other European countries and more and more women are reaching the very highest echelons of British business life.
More female managers will be found in service and hi-tech industries than in the more traditional engineering sectors - this is largely due to the small number of women in the UK who graduate with technical degrees.

DRESS CODE

Traditional dark grey and dark blue suits still tend to predominate. Suits are worn with white, blue or pink shirts and reasonably sober ties. In the more senior circles in the 'City', men will often wear cufflinks. Women in management positions often mirror male attire in so far as dark suits and blouses are worn - with little in the way of more flamboyant accessories being seen.