UK Styles Of Management

Ashish Saxena & Ashok Choudhary

British Business Structures

• The board of directors is the real power broker of a British company with all key decisions being made at this level.

• Many of the UK's larger companies have 'non-executive' directors who act as outside, impartial experts, as well as often providing links with government and the civil service.

• Although traditionally hierarchical in structure, many British firms have moved towards a flatter, less bureaucratic approach.

• This has also resulted in a certain lack of shape, with boundaries and responsibilities being blurred.

• As a result, job descriptions tend to be somewhat vague and imprecise with little clear guidance on specific tasks to be undertaken.

• British companies tend to develop managers to be 'generalists' rather than 'specialists' and managers are expected to be interested in, and take a view on, a wide number of topic areas.

• Recent years have seen a change in working patterns with many people moving job and employer on a reasonably frequent basis.

British Management Style

• British organizations have moved away from the traditional hierarchical models of the past towards a much flatter system. In the process, many layers of management have been removed.

• Managers try to develop a close, friendly relationship with staff and like to be seen as part of the team rather than removed from the team.

• Managers find it difficult to articulate direct instructions and will often couch instructions in very diplomatic language.

British Meetings• There are a lot of meetings in the UK and they

often fail to produce the desired decision.

• The British do less empirical preparation for meetings than other nationalities - seeing the meeting as a forum for debating potential solutions.

• Meetings are reasonably formally structured, roughly following a predetermined agenda and keeping more or less to time.

British Teams• The British like to be part of a team and like the

team to have a companionable atmosphere.

• Members of a team are expected to take an holistic interest in the project, rather than confining themselves to their allocated role only.

• Team members often bring with them into the team a certain level of specialization, but are expected to take a generalist view of the project and their role within the project team.

British Communication Styles• The British place diplomacy firmly before

directness and will try to avoid engendering negative emotions in meeting situations etc.

• The British can misinterpret direct speech as rudeness, aggression and arrogance.

• Humour is acceptable and expected in virtually all business situations. Humour is not seen as unprofessional, even when used in tense and difficult meetings.

• Self-promotion is not appreciated in the UK. It is far better to self-deprecate. It is, of course, acceptable to be positive about your company and products.

• Meetings will often begin with a good amount of seemingly meaningless small talk. This is seen as a good way to start the meeting in a harmonious manner.

• Colleagues will virtually always use first names amongst themselves. It is considered very formal and distancing to use surnames.

Women in Business in Britain• Women play an increasingly prominent role in

business life - especially in service industries.

• 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.

• More female managers will be found in service and hi-tech industries.

British Dress Code• Formal dress codes of dark blue and grey suits

are still predominant although changes are starting to occur in this area.

• Women in management positions often mirror male attire in so far as dark suits and blouses are worn.

• The climate in the UK can be very rainy, so it is always a good idea to carry a raincoat and/or an umbrella when visiting.

Successful Entertaining in Britain• It is reasonably common to be invited out for

lunch by a business contact in the UK, but more unusual to be asked to go for dinner.

• Lunches can vary in style from a very informal pub meal to a much more elaborate formal meal at an expensive restaurant.

• Alcohol will usually be offered at lunch and some British business people will accept whilst others prefer to stick to soft drinks.

• Most restaurants add a service charge to the bill automatically, but it is still customary to give an additional tip of around 10% directly to the waiter.

• The choice of venue can depend on a number of factors such as location, importance placed on the business opportunity (or guest), market sectors etc.

Britain In FiguresLand and Area 242,534 sq kmPopulation: 62mPopulation density: 255 sq kmLife expectancy: Men 78 yrs

Women 82 yrs

Adult literacy: 99%Average per household

2.4

Divorces per1,000 : 3

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