Almost half (49 per cent) of UK company directors and senior managers believe that a plummy or posh upper-class accent is now a hindrance rather than a help when it comes to succeeding in business, according to research from The Aziz Corporation, the UKs independent executive communications consultancy.
However, having a working-class accent is considered even worse, with 86 per cent of those who took part in the survey feeling it is a disadvantage in business. 64 per cent of businessmen believe that in fact a neutral accent is a strong advantage.
While the diversification of different accents, both upper and working class, in the media has helped bridge the class divide to some degree, it is clear from the research that the business world puts more emphasis on personality than how posh someone is. Having a cheerful and upbeat manner or a good sense of humour are thought to be a strong advantage by 74 per cent and 54 per cent of businessmen respectively.
Professor Khalid Aziz, Chairman of The Aziz Corporation, which conducted the survey as part of the eighth annual Aziz Management Communications Index, comments:
ìThe days when merely speaking with ëthe right accentí was a prerequisite to rising in the business world are now all but gone, although being an effective communicator is still paramount.
ìThe rise of Britainís self-made men, often from working-class backgrounds, such as BHS boss Philip Green or Ryanairís Michael OíLeary reflects the changing profile of the successful boss. These are people who arenít afraid to speak their minds, and are proud to make a virtue of the fact that they have worked their way up from humble beginnings to positions of influence. In both cases though, they are better known for their forceful and charismatic personalities than for their class origins.
ìConversely, one only has to think of the way that a person with a fairly plummy accent, like Boris Johnson, is portrayed in the media to understand that the impression created is of someone who is rather bumbling and quaintly old-fashioned. These are not the attributes associated with business acumen. The Duke of Wellington may have thought that the Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton, but todayís business leaders were clearly educated elsewhere.î
Professor Aziz adds:
ìThe modern business environment is clearly not as class-riddled as our society remains, and it is interesting to note that being perceived as working class is every bit as bad as being seen as posh. It is therefore much more important that business leaders have a powerful personality, humour and presence. Being classless in business merely allows these other, more valuable, qualities to shine through.î
Give us charisma not class - says British bosses
Survey shows that in business, personality and a sense of humour now score over breeding
