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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.

“The days when merely speaking with ‘the right accent’ was a prerequisite to rising in the business world are now all but gone, although being an effective communicator is still paramount.”

“The rise of Britain’s self-made men, often from working-class backgrounds, such as BHS boss Philip Green or Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary reflects the changing profile of the successful boss. These are people who aren’t 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.”

“Conversely, 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 today’s business leaders were clearly educated elsewhere.”

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Notes to Editors