Accents speak louder than words
Accents speak louder than words
Strong regional accents are a distinct disadvantage to people who want to succeed in business, according to a survey of company directors by the UK's leading independent spoken communications consultancy, The Aziz Corporation (http://www.azizcorp.com). The results reveal that almost two-fifths (39 per cent) of respondents consider a strong regional accent to be a disadvantage in business compared to just 7 per cent who feel that it is an advantage. Strong regional accents were particularly thought to be a disadvantage by men (47 per cent) and by directors of larger companies (49 per cent). Even strong overseas accents are regarded more favourably than a UK regional accent, with 10 per cent of businessmen stating they feel foreign accents to be an advantage in business.
The research also reveals that some regional accents convey negative impressions: 35 per cent of directors think that businessmen with a "scouse"or Liverpudlian accent are least likely to be successful, compared to just 11 per cent believing them to be fairly or very successful. A Birmingham/West Midlands accent is also considered disadvantageous in business, with 33 per cent of respondents labelling people with this regional accent as less successful or unsuccessful in business. By contrast, a Home Counties accent is widely regarded as being the most likely to be fairly or very successful (53 per cent), followed by the Scottish accent (41 per cent).
The survey also reveals that accents are often seen as an indicator of a businessman's honesty and industriousness. Those with a Scottish or Welsh accent are considered the most above-board and trustworthy with 26 per cent and 21 per cent respectively stating these accents convey above-average honesty. Those with Scottish accents were also considered to be the most hardworking by 32 per cent,followed closely by those with a "geordie" twang at 26 per cent. The"scouse" accent comes bottom of both league tables, once again, with 8 per cent of respondents saying they felt Liverpudlian businessmen are less hardworking and 10 per cent stating they felt these were less honest than the average.
Khalid Aziz, chairman of The Aziz Corporation, commented: "in the past,accent and identity were inextricably linked – a phenomenon perhaps best exemplified by George Bernard Shaw's heroine Eliza Dolittle. As a result, people have found it exceedingly difficult to be successful in business outside of their immediate surroundings if they did not speak with a Home Counties accent. Whilst accents may make no difference to the success of TV personalities, such as chef Jamie Oliver, presenter Donna Air and comedian Ali G, our research suggests that these prejudices have not yet been dropped in the more conservative sphere of business."
Khalid Aziz continued: "Although officially accent does not matter,privately it does. It is not a question of people getting rid of their accents– indeed, in some situations they can be a distinct advantage. Instead,bearing these results in mind, we would advise individuals to consider softening broad regional accents. Experience shows it is also advisable to avoid using localised vocabulary which others may not understand. In particular, accents can be a real hindrance in instances where words are poorly pronounced. Sloppy speech is often a major obstacle to understanding.
"Whilst ideally a person's accent should make no difference to their career success, our survey reveals that a Liverpool businessman, for example,faces the additional hurdle of having to overcome the negative characteristics his accent is associated with, unlike a contemporary from the Home Counties."
