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Did you know...?• Alpha Translations Canada Inc. was founded more than 15 years ago! • Alpha Translations Canada Inc. is also available during european business hours! • Alpha Translations Canada Inc. recently finished a project where we translated 100,000 words within 4 days! • Alpha Translations Canada Inc. can also help you with the management of your internal terminology! Cultural GuidesThis month we would like to introduce the British culture to you... Making Appointments In theory, official working hours are normally 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. In practice, most employees work considerably longer hours; many will be at their desks by 8:30 a.m. and executives rarely leave before 7:00 p.m. Professionals like lawyers and consultants may not arrive before 9:30 a.m. but, on the other hand, they may not leave the office until the following day. Generally, the British prefer to stay late in the office than to take work home with them even if they do carry a briefcase (their 'executive lunch-box').... Punctuality is appreciated but no one really minds if you arrive a little late [up to 15 minutes] for a one-to-one meeting. Obviously, though, if several people are involved then there is a greater likelihood that someone will have another engagement to attend.... Guidelines For Business Dress Conservative dress is the norm for both men and women in British business culture where darker colors (black, dark blue, charcoal grey) and heavier fabrics (wool) predominate. No one wears a morning suit and bowler hat to work nowadays but the traditional pinstripe is still immensely popular. Two tips for men: do not put pens, pencils, etc. in shirt or jacket breast pockets (you may, however, wear an ornamental silk handkerchief in your jacket pocket); avoid wearing striped ties (there is a risk that the stripe may 'belong' to an institution such as a school, university, club or military regiment of which you are not a member). General Guidelines Most Britons are reserved by nature and often find it difficult to indulge in small talk with a complete stranger. Indeed, there are situations where idle conversation is actually frowned upon, for example when travelling on the London underground... Welcome topics of conversation The weather (always a safe starting point), sport (particularly football/soccer), animals (usually safe - though beware vegetarians if you like to eat them), British history, culture, [...], positive experiences in the UK, how good the food is (things have changed in recent years!), real ale (i.e. traditional British beer). Topics to avoid Northern Ireland, religion (especially if you are in Northern Ireland, Glasgow or Liverpool), the monarchy and the Royal Family, partisan politics, the European Union, 'Brussels' and the euro, the Middle East, personal questions about a person's background, religion, occupation, etc. Class and the class system, race and immigration, sex (particularly homosexuality).What you should know before negotiating Whilst younger, junior employees are perfectly capable of conducting negotiations at a distance, it is always desirable to send older, senior representatives to the United Kingdom for face-to-face discussions. This is not to say that British businessmen believe young people are incapable of performing the task, but there is an element of distrust of whizz-kids straight of business school with a gleaming MBA.... Acceptable public conduct Gestures such as backslapping and hugging are discouraged and a wide distance should be maintained between participants in a conversation. Maintaining eye contact may be necessary when you are trying to emphasize important points but you must avoid any temptation to 'eye-ball'. Talking loudly is unacceptable and shouting is beyond the pale. Some old-fashioned interlocutors may not hear you if you have your hands in your pockets... Some final tips British cuisine is not what it was. Fortunately this erstwhile gastronomic desert has been transformed in the past twenty years and some of the best restaurants on the planet can be found in the UK. Unfortunately the best are also the most expensive and they are concentrated in London and the Home Counties or, at least, in the major cities. It is possible to eat well in the boondocks but it may require some research to find a suitably decent restaurant.* *[Source: www.executiveplanet.com] Please click here to read the complete German Culture Guide! |
