Management Style

Working relationships between managers and employees are hierarchical in the sense that employees will always do what their managers tell them.

 The British approach to tasks and job roles is functionalistic with people looking after their own responsibilities before thinking about the company as a whole. Normally each job in a company is clearly defined and expectations to the employees are set in writing.

Although in private, the British like to stand out as colourful characters, it is expected that this will not affect their work or colleagues in any way. British employees are expected to fit in with the company culture and not create any disturbances in the organisation. Most people either find that they fit in or that they get ‘help’ moving on to new challenges.

The functionalistic approach to work and responsibilities together with the British 'pulling together' tactic means that managers often feel they do not have to check-up on their employees. However, if they do and if they feel that they have been let down their reactions can be quite severe.

Use of Official Titles

The head of a British company is typically the Managing Director, abbreviated as MD. You will have a hard time finding titles such as Vice President or Chief Executive Officer in British owned companies.