Scots accent 'is sound business'
The majority of UK company directors would rather deal with someone who sounds like Gordon Brown than Del Boy Trotter, a study of accents has found.
Research into stereotypes discovered businessmen with an accent from Scotland or the Home Counties were viewed as more successful and hard-working than those with English regional accents.
Southerners and Scots were judged to have an advantage, while people with strong Liverpool, Birmingham or West Country accents could be losing out.
Almost half of company directors believed that speaking with a strong regional accent was a disadvantage in the business world.
Scots fared well across the board - with 43% perceiving them likely to be generally successful - and topped the lists of parts of the UK whose businessmen came across as reliable or honest by the way that they speak.
But worst affected by the stereotypes were people with Liverpool accents.
Only 15% viewed people from the future European capital of culture as generally successful, while only 9% described them as hard-working and just 8% regarded them as honest.
Meanwhile, stereotypes about cockney accents also appeared to be alive and well in the boardroom.
Although people from the London's East End were seen as hard-working, 16% admitted that they might think of someone with a cockney accent as less likely to be honest than someone from elsewhere.
The study was carried out by image consultants the Aziz Corporation, who spoke to directors from 100 companies with turnovers ranging from just over £5m to blue chip firms.
"The fact remains it is not what you say, but the way you say it," Khalid Aziz, chairman of the Aziz Corporation said.
Story from BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk news/scotland/3147402.stm
Published: 2003/09/29 00:40:17 GMT
© BBC MMIII
The majority of UK company directors would rather deal with someone who sounds like Gordon Brown than Del Boy Trotter, a study of accents has found.
Research into stereotypes discovered businessmen with an accent from Scotland or the Home Counties were viewed as more successful and hard-working than those with English regional accents.
Southerners and Scots were judged to have an advantage, while people with strong Liverpool, Birmingham or West Country accents could be losing out.
Almost half of company directors believed that speaking with a strong regional accent was a disadvantage in the business world.
Scots fared well across the board - with 43% perceiving them likely to be generally successful - and topped the lists of parts of the UK whose businessmen came across as reliable or honest by the way that they speak.
But worst affected by the stereotypes were people with Liverpool accents.
Only 15% viewed people from the future European capital of culture as generally successful, while only 9% described them as hard-working and just 8% regarded them as honest.
Meanwhile, stereotypes about cockney accents also appeared to be alive and well in the boardroom.
Although people from the London's East End were seen as hard-working, 16% admitted that they might think of someone with a cockney accent as less likely to be honest than someone from elsewhere.
The study was carried out by image consultants the Aziz Corporation, who spoke to directors from 100 companies with turnovers ranging from just over £5m to blue chip firms.
"The fact remains it is not what you say, but the way you say it," Khalid Aziz, chairman of the Aziz Corporation said.
Story from BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk news/scotland/3147402.stm
Published: 2003/09/29 00:40:17 GMT
© BBC MMIII
Scots accent 'is sound business' The majority of UK company directors would rather deal with someone who sounds like Gordon ... Aziz, chairman of the Aziz Corporation said. Story from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk news/scotland/3147402.stm Published: 2003/09/29 00:40:17 GMT © BBC MMIII
Funny. A little while ago, I read an article online about the same type of study in America. It was found that people from New Jersey (????), of all places, were most strongly affected badly by their "accents". This most definitely is "racism", especially since people from NJ are already biased against more so than people from any other state, in terms of college applications, job applications, etc. And, it's ridiculous since I can think of dozens of other states where people have annoying accents! I've yet to meet anyone from NJ who talks weird.
Scots accent 'is sound business' The majority of UK company directors would rather deal with someone who sounds like Gordon ... were judged to have an advantage, while people with strong Liverpool, Birmingham or West Country accents could be losing out.
Well, FWIW, when I, as an ex-pat, recently phoned "Long-Benton" (Newcastle???) as to my somewhat-in-the-future retirement entitlements, I hardly understood a word of what my correspondent was saying. I ended up asking him to e-mail me at the Consulate in Paris, where I could at least talk to somebody who spoke "proper" / "understandable" English.
David (whose by now very bland Scots accent no doubt sets him up as hard-working and successful)
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Scots accent 'is sound business' The majority of UK company ... Liverpool, Birmingham or West Country accents could be losing out.
Well, FWIW, when I, as an ex-pat, recently phoned "Long-Benton" (Newcastle???) as to my somewhat-in-the-future retirement entitlements, I hardly understood a word of what my correspondent was saying.
Longbenton is in the North East. The Dept of Work and Pensions has had a large presence there since the days of the Ministry of Pensions. It has been a major employer in the area and you may expect to encounter the full range of North East dialect and accent if you ring up.
John Dean
Oxford
De-frag to reply
(Snip)>
Wonder from what part of Scotland Mr. Aziz hails?
Cheers, Sage
"The fact remains it is not what you say, but the way you say it," Khalid Aziz, chairman of the Aziz Corporation said. Story from BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk news/scotland/3147402.stm Published: 2003/09/29 00:40:17 GMT © BBC MMIII
Wonder from what part of Scotland Mr. Aziz hails?
Cheers, Sage
Funny. A little while ago, I read an article online about the same type of study in America. It was ... of dozens of other states where people have annoying accents! I've yet to meet anyone from NJ who talks weird.
Oy!
The foregoing "Oy!" applies to the entire paragraph. If subdivided, it would probably yield at least ten "Oy!"s.
Bob Lieblich
Gevalt
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(DA) Well, FWIW, when I, as an ex-pat, recently phoned ... understood a word of what my correspondent was (DA) saying.
Longbenton is in the North East. The Dept of Work and Pensions has had a large presence there since the ... area and you may expect to encounter the full range of North East dialect and accent if you ring up.
"if" you ring up? We ex-pats (and not only us, in fact: any foreign national who has worked in the UK) don't have much of a choice - the Caudine Forks seem to lie between 1 and 2 degrees West.. And I certainly didn't "expect to encounter the full range...". That said, the actual paperwork was very quickly and very efficiently done.
DA
Longbenton is in the North East. The Dept of Work ... of North East dialect and accent if you ring up.
"if" you ring up? We ex-pats (and not only us, in fact: any foreign national who has worked in the ... didn't "expect to encounter the full range...". That said, the actual paperwork was very quickly and very efficiently done. DA
Working from this side of the pond (the left) one calls at night, leaves a short message and they call you back at their expense.
And, yes, they are pretty efficient.
Cheers, Sage
Research into stereotypes discovered businessmen with an accent from Scotland or the Home Counties were viewed as more successful and hard-working than those with English regional accents.
Don't the Home Counties constitute a region?
Bloody Loondners . . . .
**
Ross Howard
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