Researchers are faced with cultural differences in a wide range of situations, whether that’s a difference in organisational cultures (perhaps when collaborating with partners outside of academia) or in travelling to other countries, or welcoming international visitors to the UK. This section will help you be more aware of some of the cross-cultural networking challenges you might come across and we signpost you to resources where you can learn more.
Culture and communication
A common thing that can trip you up when going into a different culture or that might cause embarrassment is how direct are people in their communication.
Networking in English
You might recognise some of the phrases in this table!
| What the British say | What the British mean | What others understand |
|---|---|---|
| I hear what you say | I disagree and don’t wish to discuss it further |
He accepts my point of view |
| With the greatest respect | I think you’re an idiot | She is listening to me and taking me seriously |
| That’s not bad | That’s good | That’s nothing special |
| That is a very brave proposal |
You are insane | She thinks I am strong |
| Quite good | It’s a bit disappointing | He likes it |
| I would suggest… | Do what I say or else! | Consider this idea but it is my decision |
| Oh, by the way... | The main point of our discussion is... |
This is something not relevant to our discussion |
| I was a bit disappointed | I’m angry about... | This could be a bit better |
| Very interesting | When are you going to stop talking about this? | She is impressed so keep talking |
| I'll bear that in mind | I've forgotten it already | He thinks it's a good idea |
| It was probably mu fault | It was your fault | She is taking the blame |
| You must come for dinner | I'm just being polite | He likes me as a friend |
| I agree up to a point | I couldn't agree less | She thinks it's almost a perfect idea |
| I just have a few minor comments | Start again and rewrite this completely | He found a couple of typos |
| How about we consider some other options? | I think your idea stinks | She hasn't made a decision yet |
Download the Anglo-EU Translation Guide
How direct people are in conversation can differ wildly between countries. Asking for clarity and having conversations to set expectations, following up with emails to check understanding can all help. Remember it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure clarity – ask others if they want you to clarify anything, and make sure you seek clarification if anything is vague. Sometimes it’s easier to do this on email as some cultures may not feel comfortable in telling you face to face that they don’t understand you.
Communicating when English second language
Related links
Academic careers in different countries – cultural differences
If you’re networking with the intention of finding a job or to better understand a collaborator from another country, it’s useful to know how the ‘system’ works in those countries – this will help you to emphasise the most important topics and to understand what might motivate researchers or academic employers in those countries. The following websites will help you:
- Academic Careers Observatory (eui.eu) – academic career information for different countries
- Country Profile Archives - from jobs.ac.uk
- Hofstede Insights into the different cultural dimensions in different countries provides a framework to better understand and predict the behaviours and motivations of people from different countries.
Academic discipline cultures and collaboration
- Collaboration confusion (blog): questions to ask a potential collaborator at the beginning, to avoid confusion
- The work of Catherine Lyall at the University of Edinburgh explores lessons learned interdisciplinary work.