Indirect vs. Direct Communication Style
Another possible cultural difference that may impact working relationships between employees of British Airways and Iberia is the different communication styles. British tend to be fairly indirect when communicating and will use understatement. Words such as ‘perhaps’ or ‘maybe’ are commonplace and can be confusing for non native English speakers. People in the UK will also tend to avoid direct and open disagreements and displays of emotions. This communication style can be confusing for their Spanish counterparts who don’t always get the real meaning of what they are communicating and get lost in the words.