The expletive riddled sentences of Sir Alan Sugar and Gordon Ramsay are becoming the accepted norm in the workplace, a new survey shows, but just like the Amstrad tycoon, UK bosses cannot stand ‘bulls**t’.
According to research conducted by The Aziz Corporation, 66% of managers find ‘bulls**tting’ very annoying while only 37% object to their colleagues swearing.
The survey also reveals that older bosses are less tolerant towards swearing than their younger colleagues, reflecting a decline in the formality of business language.
Managers in their fifties usually find swearing to be annoying, with 74% in that age group regarding it as a negative.
Younger staff however are much more liberal when it comes to the use of expletives in meetings with 43% considering it to be acceptable.
Professor Khalid Aziz, chairman of The Aziz Corporation, said: “The survey reveals an overwhelming dislike for those who bullshit in business.
“Bosses prefer their colleagues' language to be honest and accurate even if that means tolerating the odd expletive here and there.
“However, it does appear that the culture of television personalities such as Sir Alan Sugar and Gordon Ramsay is permeating the business world.”
