CROSS CULTURE

“The collective programming of the mind which distinguishes

the members of one group or category from those of another”

STATS.docx

UNITED KINGDOM

Etiquette in England

Do:£ Stand in line£ Take off your hat when indoors£ Cover your mouth when yawning or coughing£ Shake hands£ Drive on the left side of the road

Don’ts:£ Greet people with a kiss unless it’s family or close friends£ Talk loudly in public£ Stare at others£ Ask personal and intimate questions

FESTIVALS May Day Celebrations: Maypole Dancing

£ Origin: the Roman festival of Flora, goddess of fruit and flowers

£ Celebrate the coming of summer after a long winter

£ A time for love and romance

SUPERSTITIONS

Good Luck:£ Lucky to meet a black cat£ Lucky to touch wood£ Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves. £ A right way up horseshoe over the door brings good luck (like a “U”)£ Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you're have good luck.

Bad Luck:£ Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder £ Seven years bad luck to break a mirror£ Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to

counteract the bad luck £ Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors.£ The number thirteen is unlucky

£ Friday the thirteenth is a double unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

£ Unlucky to put new shoes on the table£ Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs

TEA CUSTOMS

Afternoon Tea:£ Served at 4 in the afternoon£Tea, coffee, freshly baked scones, tea sandwiches, and

assorted pastries£This became popular about one hundred and fifty years

ago when rich ladies invited their friends to their houses for an afternoon cup of tea

High Tea:£ Served at 6 in the evening£ Scones, cakes, buns or tea breads, cheese on toast,

toasted crumpets, cold meats and pickles or poached eggs on toast

£British working population did not have afternoon tea, only a midday meal and a meal after work a.k.a dinner or supper

Food

Traditional English Breakfast (Full English)

£ eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms

Traditional English Dinner

£ meat and 2 vegetables with hot brown gravy

Sunday Roast Dinner

£ roast meat, two vegetables and potatoes with a Yorkshire pudding

Lunch – dinner (the main meal)Dinner – tea, supper

£ The English are renowned for their politeness and

courtesy This is a key element of British culture and is a

fundamental aspect of British communication style.

£ When doing business in the UK you generally find that

direct questions often receive evasive responses and

conversations may be ambiguous and full of subtleties .

£ It is important to pay attention to tone of voice and facial

expression , as this may be an indication of what is really

meant.

INDIRECTNESS 

£ To describe the traditionally British portrayal of

reserve and restraint when faced with difficult

situations.

£ Open displays of emotion , positive or negative are

rare and should be avoided .

£ During meetings, Hosts will approach business with an

air of formality and detachment

STIFF UPPER LIP 

£ A vital element is the renowned sense of humour.

£ The importance of humour in all situations,

including business contexts, cannot be

overestimated.

£ Humour is frequently used as a defence

mechanism , often in the form of self-depreciation

or irony .

£ It can be highly implicit and in this sense is related

to indirect communication style.

HUMOUR

PUNCTUALITY

£ Punctuality is essential at any business meeting or

social event. Make it a point to be punctual - the English

are very particular about time keeping.

£ To be late is considered inconsiderate and

discourteous.

£ DO remember to shake hands on first meetings. Greet your business associate with a firm handshake ; this is acceptable for both business and social occasions.

£ If your associate is a woman , wait for her to extend her hand first. Women do not necessarily shake hands.

£ DO make direct eye-contact with your British counterpart, however remember to keep it to a minimum or it could be considered impolite or rude.

£ 

GREETINGS

£ Dress as conservatively as you can. A suit is always appropriate. Men in Britain should wear laced shoes, not loafers. Wear shirts with no pockets. If you must have pockets, make sure they are empty. Avoid striped ties; many British regimental ties are striped, and yours may look like an imitation.£ Women should wear either a business suit or a conservative dress.

DRESS CODE

£ Only medical doctors and the clergy in the UK use their professional or academic titles in business.

£ Most people use the courtesy titles or Mr, Mrs or Miss and their surname . (Mr and Mrs are words in the United Kingdom and do not require a period after them as they are not abbreviations.)

£ If someone has been knighted, they are called 'Sir' followed by their first and surnames or 'Sir' followed simply by their first name.

£ First names are used almost immediately with all colleagues. Exceptions are very senior managers. 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.

FORM OF ADDRESS

£ Business card etiquette is relaxed and involves little ceremony .

£ Business cards are exchanged at the initial introduction without formal ritual.

£ It is not considered bad etiquette to keep cards in a pocket

Do not feel obliged to hand out a business card to everyone you meet as it is not expected.

£ The business card may be put away with only a cursory glance.

Business cards

£ DO respect personal space. The British value their space and keeping an acceptable distance is advised.

PERSONAL SPACE

£ Do not carry gifts with you; they are not part of doing business Instead of gifts, invite your hosts out for a meal or a show. Anything else is considered inappropriate.

£ If you choose to give a gift, make certain it is small and tasteful.

£ Good gifts include desk accessories, a paperweight with your company logo, or a book about your home country .

£ Business meetings take place in a cafe in a pub -- the meal itself will be light. Senior executives, however, typically dine at the finest restaurants or in the company's executive dining room.

Dinner is from 7 to 11 p.m. in most restaurants.

GIFTS