Working in the United Kingdom | Communicaid Blog | Cross Cultural Training and International Communication Skills

Apr 30

Benefits of Doing Business in the United Kingdom

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

The United Kingdom (UK) is the largest country in the British Isles. The UK has a long and rich history which is combined with a modern, liberal and forward thinking mentality. Waves of immigration have made the UK culturally diverse and wealthy and it is now one the world’s leading financial and services centres, with an economy which continues to go from strength to strength. Doing business in the United Kingdom offers access to the following key benefits.

Access to a Modern, Liberalised Economy
The UK’s economy is among the most vibrant and exciting in the world. With free and liberalised policies and protocols protecting its growth, the United Kingdom remains an attractive place for doing business.

A Leader in the Financial Sector
The UK’s largest exports today are financial services as a result of the credibility the UK has gained in this sector. The financial services sector leads the world in its innovation and forward thinking. The City, located in the heart of London, is home to some of the world’s most important banking and insurance institutions, and is considered by some to be the epicentre of the global financial industry.

A Large, Culturally Mixed Population
The UK has a large and expanding population. This means there is a constantly growing marketplace with a demand for goods and services. The population of the UK is made up of a wide variety of communities from across the globe, each with their own traditions, customs and requirements, creating a need for diverse markets. Anyone doing business in the UK will be able to benefit from this multiculturalism, either through hiring diverse employees and harnessing their unique perspectives and experience or through offering products to communities with ever changing and increasing needs. Effectively working with this culturally mixed population requires a comprehensive understanding of British culture which Intercultural Training UK programmes can provide you with.

An Entry Point for the Rest of Europe and for the Commonwealth
The United Kingdom is a major gateway to the rest of Europe. As a key trading partner within the European Union (EU), and with links to the member-states of the Commonwealth, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are perfect locations from which to launch business operations on a global scale.

Any organisation doing business in the United Kingdom would be wise to gain an understanding of the country’s rich cultural identity and the customs and habits of its people which impact on the UK’s business culture. A Cultural Awareness Training UK course such as Communicaid’s Doing Business in the United Kingdom or Living and Working in the UK programme will provide your business with the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful when working with counterparts in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Wales.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010

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Apr 26

Challenges of Doing Business in the United Kingdom

Cross Cultural Training, Cultural training for Relocation, Culture, Culture training for Business & Management, Culture training for Human Resources, Culture training for the Public sector No Comments »

A combination of indigenous cultures and many other more recent immigrant influences, the United Kingdom (UK) has been an important player on the world stage for hundreds of years. The UK has all the attributes of a strong modern nation, including a rich history, thriving economy and vibrant, multicultural population.

Doing business in the UK offers many benefits to organisations but it also can present many challenges that must be overcome for business success. Cultural Awareness Training UK courses such as Doing Business in the United Kingdom will help your organisation to build a profound understanding of the key cultural concepts and habits that can be found in the United Kingdom. Intercultural Training UK programmes will help you develop strategies for dealing with pitfalls which can arise during cross-cultural interaction in the UK.

Below are some of the key cultural concepts which can be a challenge to foreigners doing business in the UK.

London Skyline ferrantraite i Challenges of Doing Business in the United Kingdom

Humour
Humour is an essential part of communication in the UK. It is used a great deal in verbal interaction and can often confuse non-natives doing business in the United Kingdom who don’t necessarily understand the subtleties and context.

British Reserve
The British often come across as very reserved and distant to people from other countries who are not accustomed to dealing with them. Don’t expect to be taken immediately into your British colleague’s confidence when doing business in the UK. It might take several business meetings before anything more profound than the weather or sport is discussed.

Attitude to Time
Time, or more accurately punctuality, is extremely important in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You will be expected to arrive at a business meeting on time, or even get there about 10 minutes early. This shows commitment to the project or negotiations and will be well received by your British counterparts when doing business in the UK.

Decision-making Process
Reaching a decision in a British business context can be a rather slow and laborious process. Meetings tend to follow a very particular and rigid structure which can sometimes be very inflexible and lead to slow decision making.

While the United Kingdom is a very modern and forward thinking country, there still remain some historic and rigid cultural peculiarities which need to be understood in order to interact successfully in business situations. Undertaking Communicaid’s cultural training for business and management courseDoing Business in the United Kingdom will give any organisation working on business ventures in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland a strong grounding for more successful cross-cultural interaction with their UK counterparts.

© Communicaid Group Ltd. 2010