• Developing a personal awareness of one's own cultural orientation and perspectives - a personal cultural blueprint.
• Developing an understanding of the cultural orientations of the host country.

This article provides an overview of some of the characteristics of the 'typical British person' based on cultural variables and dimensions of individualism, communication, space, power and action as identified by Joerg Schmitz (Cultural Orientations Guide).

However, first a health warning! The UK is made up of four countries, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Each country has its own history, traditions, and therefore cultural differentiations. In addition, there are many regional differences AND two hundred nationalities represented within the UK population. It goes without saying that there is huge cultural diversity.

Individualism
Society in the UK tends to focus on and reinforce individual achievement. This can be compared to countries with a more collective orientation which emphasises the importance of the group's interests over that of the individual. In the UK, the individual and their rights are paramount and generally everyone is expected to look after themselves and their immediate family.

In the workplace, although team work is recognised as an important means to achieving superior performance, individuals within the team may compete and management will look at individual and team performance when conducting individual performance appraisals.

Loyalty to a collective group may exist in terms of religious groupings, corporate allegiances or local community networks and groups, especially amongst national groupings.  The extent to which you find this will vary.

Communication
Social environments vary in how people express themselves. A high context orientation will mean that there is an emphasis on implicit communication and non-verbal cues. A low context orientation will mean that communication is explicit, people say what they mean and mean what they say!

The UK is a bit of a mix when it comes to communication. People living in southern England are often described as relatively indirect and reserved. Also they will not be particularly demonstrative in an emotional sense. It is not unusual to be left wondering what people ‘really think' or resorting to asking clarifying questions to find out.

As you head further north, people do become more open and direct, perhaps even blunt and to the point (so the southerners say). They are also said to be friendlier and more welcoming and, as many are of Celtic origin, a touch more emotionally demonstrative as well.