h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

"For some this means a job in a country with the same first language, but for most the first language of the country will be different."

I have never lived in a foreign country, unless you count growing up in Oklahoma and moving to Texas. But I did spend ten days in London once, and consider that an example of the second category in the quote above.

I recall an article in the NY Times years ago about a US engineering co. being brought in to finish a big UK project which was seriously behind schedule. It was about the time the Millenium Dome was having problems, but I think this was a different project. The article stated that a big advantage of the US managers was not anything technical or adminstrative, but rather their US accent. The idea was that this put them outside the UK hierarchy which apparently has a large accent factor, a la "My Fair Lady". So there was no pre-existing feeling toward their directives, either negative or positive. I'm not sure about the social aspect of the American accent, but the writer apparently saw an advantage in office politics.

We certainly have regional dialects in the US and they can cause resentment, but I never considered it much of a factor in my days with a large engineering company. All the numerous resentments were based on other factors, generally.

Most studies of business cultures report this about British culture, particularly "When Cultures Collide" (written by a Brit).

It might be part of the residual class culture, but more directly I think it's simply due to regional accents having their own "preconceptions" attached.
There's an article somewhere on H2G2 called How To Speak Brummie which goes into this at some point.

Received Pronunciation in particular can come across as condescending to people with more regionally specific accents, whereas strong northern accents from places that suffered economically during the past hundred years can have conotations of criminality or violence.

It's fascinating stuff and I'm sure there's a university department somewhere in the world doing studies on all this. Being a casual observer has always been interesting enough for me.

On the whole, its a factor that gets overstated rather a lot, and I think that, as you said, a lot of resentments in business are caused by other things.

"Most studies of business cultures report this about British culture, particularly 'When Cultures Collide' (written by a Brit)."

That sounds like a good read, based on the long excerpt at Amazon (US). I ordered it this morning, thanks for the tip.

I worked for an international engineering company and had contact with Japanese, Koreans, Brits, etc., but it was always with liaison types in our US offices during the design phase (large petrochemical facilities). So I think their cultures did not come through very strongly - we were doing the work, they were observing.

It does remind me of an old joke, though, probably familiar to Europeans. In Heaven, the cooks are French, the police British, the lovers Italian, the mechanics German, and its all organized by the Swiss. In Hell, the cooks are British, the police German, the lovers Swiss, the mechanics French, and its all organized by the Italians.

Well, speaking as a BRUMMIE (er...i forgot how to speak it, i will have to find that article!)who had the audacity to set up Health Food restaurants in Pakistan; i reckon culture clash is a moveable feast!

*Culture & Clash are both very good groups though, met both of them in the past;RIP Joe Strummer.*

Terri

* at both posts*

Well that was a successful book recommendation wasn't it!

Hey, Terri & Yoda (which one am I speaking to?) You're a brummy too? It's a small world! Whereabouts are you from?

Hang on, I'll go and find that article...

It's A496352

*confession time*

Yup, not only am i originally a Brummie, but i even, in my newborn hootoo innocence, actually started a club thingy, B.U.S, Birmingham Users Society, then in typical brummie fashion, i either lost interest, got depressed, lost the relevant number or whatever was the excuse of the moment for not getting it together....you know how it is mate.

I would give you a link, but my glasses are downstairs, so if you go to my space & look under the alien & find the link to Z, & click on the , you will be united with brummies of all types!

*trundles off to look at inky linky thingy*

Do excuse me, it's 4am here in France, blame Psychocandy, who has just phoned me from Chicago, we have been doing gossipy girly stuff for far too long, isn't hootoo WONDERFUL!



zdt

Birmingham users Society () is at A899760

You are also very welcome to come & say hi on my journal space, the "Bird's eye" thread, where a variety of but people from all over the place drop in, there's at least one other ex Brummie, now living in USA, she's just been trying to explain what a "teddy graham" is!!(apparently you eat it, not vote for it.*resists urge to create Clinton joke*)



Terri. (Yoda is the by the way; she is Siamese, but born in France & is tri-lingual, whinges in English, Frog & feline)