Blog 5: The Top 5 Things to Know Before Embarking on the Business Communications in Spain Class – Elizabeth Sundet

Picture this: you are about to embark on a two-week trip abroad with a group of 25 people who you have only spent a short seven weeks with. You may feel excited, or much like me, you may have high anxiety as you head into the unknown. Well, I am here today to tell you my top five things to know before going into what will forever be some of my favorite weeks of my life.

*In front of the aqueduct in Segovia, the first incredible site off the bus from the train station.*

1) Visit Segovia

If this is your first time in Europe, you may be expecting a bit more than what Madrid has to offer. Sure, there are beautiful views and amazing restaurants, but it did not give me that European feel boasting old architecture that I imagined. Hence, why my first recommendation is to plan a trip to Segovia. Segovia is just a short hour commute from Madrid either by bus or high speed train transferred to a bus. We did this the first Saturday we were there and it was breathtaking.

*A group of us at dinner at our favorite restaurant in Madrid, Morao (we went there twice)!*

2) Get to know all of your classmates

As mentioned prior, it is common to go into this trip not knowing many people, even though you had class with them for seven weeks. However, if you take the time to get to know each individual, you will likely be pleasantly surprised. I may have gotten lucky with the best class to ever go on this trip, but it reminded me how important it is to not judge a book by its cover. While walking, choose someone new to talk to each time and ask deeper than surface level questions. This also made meals so fun!

3) Bring clothes for every activity

This may be the over-packer in me speaking, but I truly believe being prepared for every situation when it comes to clothes is essential for a near-perfect trip! Spain during this time of year is very warm, so be prepared for the heat. But also be prepared for chillier nights, especially in Barcelona. The temperature changes +/- 10 degrees depending on which city you are in at each point of the trip, so be sure to do your research and be prepared for all types of situations! (Also bring some going out clothes!)

*One of my favorite new dishes, patatas bravas.*

4) Experiment with new foods

As a somewhat picky eater, experimenting with new foods can be scary. I recognize how easy it is to choose the “safe bet” on the menu. However, do not do this at every meal! During welcome presentations and throughout site visits, many people will give recommendations of good tapas to try while in Spain – jot them down and try something new at least once a day! There is truly no better way to explore a culture than through food.

5) Do research on companies prior to site visits

Per my previous blog post, a cultural difference I noticed strongly was the high context communication presented throughout our site visits. To portray knowledge and be the best representation of a Carlson student, I strongly recommend researching companies you will be visiting prior to the site visits. While it is required for one of the blog posts, do research beyond just your single company and go in with at least one or two questions prepared.

Blog 5: Spain Has a Long Way to Go in Terms of Breaking Away From Hierarchical Culture – Edward Neepaye

I have a theory. If you ask a Spanish company Manager whether they operate on a hierarchical work model, you’ll get a resounding No! On the other hand, ask a Spanish employee whether their boss or company is hierarchical & they may have multiple instances from that very day. I noticed this dissonance firsthand on many of our company visits & I’m going to discuss a specific example & the lesson I took from it throughout this blog post.

Hofstede Power Distance at Play within Spain

I learned a lot from our company site visits; although there are subtle differences between how the Spanish & Americans work, the structure & objective is pretty much the same. However, one major difference I noticed among all our company visits was the power distance between manager & employee. Geert Hofstede would attribute this to Spain’s high power-distance which makes the country more hierarchical than its counterparts.

Hofstede power distance theory gives insight into hierarchy observed in Spain

Case study on unequal power distance: Eva & Emili

There were many demonstrations of this strong power distance during our site visits, however, the most glaring was at our visit to HP Barcelona. We met E. Blanco, Public Communications Manager, whose passion about HP & effective communications was clear from the beginning. Blanco was joined in her presentation by her associate E. Serra. I noticed during the presentation Blanco dominated the entire discussion; she would cut Emilio off mid-sentence, & even when she told him to talk in-depth about the topic, he was strongest on she would take over his talking points. That’s why I was very surprised that when a student in our class posed the question as to whether/not HP was hierarchical, she responded with a resounding No. I’m sure Emili would have answered differently; hence my theory.

HP Barcelona is just as innovative as HP Silicon Valley but glaring hierarchy exists

Vastly different personal experience

According to Expatica, an expat advise column, business communication in Spain “usually takes place on equal levels”. This means if you run into an issue with your boss’ boss speak to your immediate supervisor who will then speak to their boss; do not go directly to your boss’ boss. This cultural dimension was one of the most striking, and vastly different than my own experience interning at US companies & interacting with my supervisors. Even as an intern not only was I allowed to interact directly with my boss’ boss & high-ranking client managers, I was encouraged to do so. This is a privilege I’m afraid would not be possible to my counterpart working in Spain.

Even as an intern I went out regularly with my team; including non-direct managers

Changing perspectives

Although this cultural dimension came as a shock to me, as an outsider, it was never shocking or uncomfortable to the employee who was on the other side of the hierarchy. Whenever the manager took over the discussion the employee yielded gracefully & would even cue in their manager to expand on the talking point. This showed a strong connection between the two parties that even though it wasn’t what I was used to, worked for them. This is the lesson I took from this, and many other situations during my time in Spain. Things that may seem striking at first are only so because I’m not used to it, not because they are inherently wrong.

Blog 4: Spain’s Collectivist Culture to be Blamed for Hungry American Tourists? – Edward Neepaye

During my visit in Spain, I experienced many of the cultural dimensions we discussed in class firsthand. The one I want to focus on is the seemingly bizarre meal schedules which I believe can be attributed to Spain’s collectivist culture.

Spain’s unusual mealtime can still be experienced in its former colonies

The first time I experienced Spain’s unusual meal schedule was, indirectly, in Mexico, this past spring while visiting a friend. We’d wake up, have a big breakfast, wait until 2pm to have lunch, & dinnertime was promptly at 9pm. When I asked her as to why things were so, her answer boiled down to the usual culprit for Mexican cultural conventions, Spanish colonial rule.

Dinnertime in Mexico City closely resembles dinnertime in Madrid, Barcelona etc.

Collectivism at the core of Spain’s meal timing

For modern day Spaniards, this cultural convention of later meals falls firmly along Hofstede’s theory of Spain’s high collectivism. Spain, with a score of 49 on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions on individualism, is more collectivist when compared with other European countries (less so if compared with RoW). What this means is that the Spanish place a big importance on collective meals & time spent together. There are many theories, traditional & contemporary, as to how collectivism affects mealtime specifically. The contemporary theory involves Franco, Nazis, & Central European Time. The traditional theory (and one I really like) is that during Spain’s developmental period, fieldworkers would often take mid-day breaks (siestas) to escape the brutal sun. They would then return to work in the late afternoon and work well into the evening. This means that dinnertime would be pushed back to promote collective meals. This theory would help to explain why former Spanish colonies, like Mexico, which was not ruled by Franco during WWII would follow a similar eating schedule as Spain.

Dinnertime in Spain: If you think you’re late, you’re early

My most memorable experience with this unusual meal culture was the night I made reservations at Viuda de Vacas, a popular spot in Madrid. At this point I was well versed in the local eating schedule, so I set my reservation promptly for 9pm, the earliest time available. When I arrived, the doors were shut & there was no one in sight. I decided to walk around for a bit & when I returned 15min later there was an older gentleman just opening shop. When he saw me, he glanced quizzically at his watch & directed me to have a seat at any table (as the restaurant was still empty). I was baffled. I thought this was a popular restaurant. It came highly recommended by Madrileños. I took a seat, placed a (small) order, & waited 45 minutes for my food to arrive. Once my plate arrived it wasn’t until well into my meal (around 10:15pm) that I noticed other people start to pour in (in big groups). This experience taught me an important lesson about eating like a local in Madrid, even when you think you’re late you’re early.

Viuda de Vacas is a Madrid hotspot, however, do not expect to be seated before 9:30 for dinner

Spain’s collective culture can be seen in a variety of ways, most profoundly however, in the way meals are structured. The timing, popularity of tapas, and the way the meals seem to drag into late night can all be attributed to this collectivism. Over the past couple weeks this part of the culture has come to be one of my favorite things about Spain as it bears striking resemblance to the collectivism prevalent in my own West African culture.

Relaxed Business: How the Hofstede Dimensions Appeared in Spanish Businesses- Taylor Leeson, Blog 4

The Hofstede Dimensions. Spain: Blue, US: Purple

“Uncompetitive” and “low risk” are two ways to describe Spanish businesses. They also happen to be characteristics that were predicted by the Hofstede dimensions. Although I never expected Hofstede to be wrong, I never expected to see much of a difference between Spanish businesses and US businesses either. However, there were clear differences in two of the Hofstede Dimensions: Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance.

Spanish Businesses Are Relaxed in the Workplace

Upon entering El Corte Ingles, our first Spanish business site visit, it was very clear from the start that the atmosphere was very relaxed. The head office was located in an actual retail store.

Something like this would likely never happen in the US today because we feel the need to eliminate very distraction possible in our offices. The US is very competitive in the workplace and full of political moves and requires you be on your toes at all times. This is not so in the Spanish business world from what I have seen.

Uncompetitiveness is of course shown in their low masculinity score. Masculinity in this case does not refer to men but to masculine traits, such as competitiveness. Although Spaniards still look for better jobs and have aspirations to move higher in the company, they are more focused on the comradery and enjoyment of doing what they do. The presenters at El Corte Ingles echoed this fact. In the words of our presenter from Global Healthcare, the workplace is “very chill.” She had worked in America herself and could easily point this difference out.

Spanish businesses are more worried about enjoying their life than stressing about work. This is perhaps a reason why they have a longer life span than Americans.

Spanish Businesses Are Naturally Risk Averse and It Shows

Spaniards’ risk aversion is reflected in their high uncertainty avoidance score. During two site visits, it was abundantly clear that Spanish businesses and people do not like risk. The first site was Tetuan Valley which may be surprising because they are so heavily invested with startups. Tetuan Valley focuses on helping startups actually become businesses, but this process can take a long time. Our speakers told us that just creating the business charter itself can take a year or longer. This is an incredibly long period of time for some people to wait; especially Americans who like to start businesses right away right out of their garages.

Photo of our group working on a project charter at Tetuan Valley

Risk aversion was also clear in our presentation from Pau Vergili, a Spanish investor and business owner. He expressed difficulty in finding investors in Spain because of their risk aversion and the slow process of creating the business.

Spaniards like to be smart with their investments and will take the time to see that they succeed.

Spanish businesses are very different from American businesses. In America, we compete and take risks. In Spain, they relax and think things through. Hofstede had it figured out, but I had no idea how right he was.

Blog 4: Spain’s subtle and obvious cultural differences – Abdi Ismail

Subordinates Talk Less Than Superiors

One cultural dimension I remembered reading from Erin Meyer’s Cultural Map was power distance. It was interesting to experience from our very first site visit, El Corte Ingles. Power distance is how people who belong to a certain culture view superior and subordinate relationships. This relationship comes from the society we live in. Compared to the United States the nation of Spain is more of a hierarchical society. So those that are in a higher position in a company are expected to have all the answers and lead from the top. During the presentation portion of the El Corte Ingles site visit, the communications manager did most of the talking. This would not be an issue except that the manager’s English was not as good as her subordinate. The manager would sometimes interrupt her subordinate when she was speaking. However, the subordinate never spoke unless she was asked a question. Even though the presentation would have been better if the person who speaks the best English spoke often. However, in Spanish business, the manager is expected to lead even if they are not fully qualified.

Spain Very Collective Compared to The US

The United States has a unique trait the nation tends to highlight the individual and usually links success on how hard an individual worked. That’s why the United States ranks the highest when it comes to individualism. However, Spain, when compared to Asian countries, is more individualist but when compared to European countries it’s collective. So, working in groups and having teamwork is very important in Spanish society. This was evident to me when we visited Tetuan Valley. Although it was a business, they really emphasized community and relationships more than money. They chose which projects and entrepreneurs to work with and train based on relationships.

Spain is one of Europe’s most collective

Thinking from Different Perspectives Shapes Global Intelligence-Jonathan Carman

This is a picture of people relaxing in Retiro Park outside of the Crystal Palace

Introduction: The Trip to Spain Challenged Me to Consider Different Cultural Perspectives

Traveling to any country is an enriching experience for anyone because it allows you to see the world from different perspectives by witnessing a new way of life firsthand. You must immerse yourself in the local language, norms, customs, food, music, and daily life to truly understand the culture and how it impacts your cultural intelligence. I believe the worldview, cultural curiosity, and collaboration components of my global intelligence increased from my exposure to Spanish culture.

Worldview: Not all Cultures Communicate and Think in the Same Context

Spanish communication is vastly different since it is predominately a high-context culture in comparison with the low-context culture in the United States. As discussed by Erin Meyer in Culture Map, a high-context culture communicates messages in a “sophisticated and layered” manner where the meaning is implied by members of that culture. On the other hand, low-context cultures communicate messages “explicitly” so that the meaning is clearly spelled out by the speaker. Spanish conversations are often complex, formal, and passionate. As an American, it was sometimes difficult to pick out the main messages of Spanish conversations because there is so much context around the messages that they convey to others. This challenge helped develop my global intelligence by teaching me that you must adapt the context and meaning of messages to the surrounding culture.

This is a picture of the communication dimension from Erin Meyer’s *Culture Map*

Cultural Curiosity: Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Embrace the Places of a Different Culture

To immerse yourself in a culture and truly understand it, you must take part in daily activities that are central to that culture. In Spain, I always went to non-tourist restaurants in both Madrid and Barcelona because I wanted to eat the same foods as local Spaniards. One such restaurant is El Ruedo in Madrid where little English is spoken by the employees. Due to this language barrier, I challenged myself to use only my Spanish to order food which allowed me to communicate as a local Spaniard would. I also traveled to Retiro Park in Madrid to observe Spanish leisure activities. Later, I attended a bullfight at Las Ventas to experience this iconic tradition. I increased my global intelligence since I stepped out of my comfort zone to participate in all these activities that are central to the Spanish lifestyle.

This is the introductory ceremony to a bullfight at Las Ventas

Collaboration: Cooperation Builds a Sense of Community

Cross-cultural collaboration is important in building a global sense of community especially in the business world. For instance, during the HP Barcelona site visit, it emphasized how collaboration between employees from both the United States and Barcelona helped to create new ways of thinking that ultimately led to the development of revolutionary 3-D printing technology. Likewise, the Tetuan Valley speakers placed students from my class into small groups to collaborate on creating a business model, which we would later present to the large group. This taught us the valuable skill of taking different perspectives about an abstract idea and turning it into a concrete, sustainable model. The skill of collaboration in combination with the worldview and cultural curiosity components has challenged me to consider the world from different perspectives and appreciate how valuable these are in increasing my global intelligence.

This is a picture of the products that HP Barcelona’s employees have created through 3-D printing

This is a picture of the Tetuan Valley building where we collaborated together to create business models

Blog 4: Shocking Cultural Dimensions That You Must Know Before Visiting Spain – Elizabeth Sundet

We spent seven weeks prior to our trip to Spain discussing the cultural differences through teachings from Erin Meyer and Geert Hofstede. Most would think this would make our culture shock an easier transition than most who attend a trip abroad. However, it is easy to listen to these teachings and wonder, “Can it really be THAT different?”. To answer that question, yes, it can.

*One of our dinner checks in Spanish, making it difficult to separate amongst the group.*

The Tip of the Ice Berg: Surface Level Differences

As we discussed in class and in our various welcoming presentations, it is easy to spot differences such as language, dress, and manners when immersing yourself in a culture different from your own. To me, the language barrier was a bit more apparent than I was prepared for. While minimal English is spoken at most restaurants and tourist attractions, more than a few times we were transferred to a different server that specifically spoke English. Additionally, it was much easier to speak minimal Spanish to get by, than it was to struggle through speaking basic English for someone not very familiar with the language.

*According to Erin Meyer, the United States is depicted in orange and Spain i*s *the red dot.*

High Context vs. Low Context Communication Leads to Dull Presentations for U.S. Students

While our speakers were extremely knowledgeable and engaging, I found that at times it felt as if the presentation was going in circles. In the United States, we are use to very low context forms of communication, meaning we provide as little detail as possible and get straight to the point. In the Spain, it is very different. We were given an overwhelming amount of detail for most discussions. Additionally, this difference was extremely evident when questions were asked. In the U.S. it is common to answer a question by giving a very direct answer, but in Spain they often spent 2-4 minutes answering a single question.

According to The Culture Map by Erin Meyer, Spain ranks more hierarchical than the U.S.

The Hierarchical Leadership Style in Spain: The Manager Does Most of the Talking

I noticed the hierarchical difference in leadership styles in Spain versus the U.S. at our first site visit to El Corte Ingles. It was very apparent when the manager did most of the talking and the other woman only spoke when she was referred to or asked a question from the manager. I also found this to be the case at other visits as well such as Tetuan Valley and Hewlett Packard. Interestingly, the Hewlett Packard manager specifically mentioned that they were not viewed as a hierarchical company.

A Few Pieces of Advice as You Travel Abroad

Do not underestimate the differences in cultures around the world
Do your research to relieve a bit of the shock
Learn the basics of the language
Embrace the new culture – do not feel as though they are “wrong”

Blog 6: This trip was an Enriching Adventure that has forever changed Me – Erik Carrasquillo

A Photo I took of the magnificent Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona

Introduction

Before I left for Spain, I was apprehensive and anxious about what it would be like to travel, essentially by myself, to a foreign country. The thoughts I had about it before the trip were thoughts of anxiety and nervousness. Fast forward to now though, and I have become way more adept and capable at handling situations like this one, and I have gained important knowledge for future trips and future business endeavors.

A Photo I took in an attempt to encapsulate the wondrous city of Toledo, Spain

My Worldview has broadened from this trip

This trip has helped me become better as a person, and has specifically helped improve my global intelligence. One quality of global intelligence that I improved is my worldview. Before leaving on this trip, one blog post I did was on a Spanish current event, which for me was about a man helping his ill wife commit suicide (aka euthanasia). In that post, I said, “this story provides us with an interesting view of Spain’s confrontational society” which I said was described in The Culture Map. Until the trip, that article and the book were the only things I could go off of to assume that Spain is confrontational. Upon visiting this country, and more specifically Barcelona, I have seen protests done by many citizens of Barcelona. While we do have protests here in the USA, protests occur every other day in Barcelona, according to our guides in the city. Therefore, this is proof of open disagreement in Spain which proves the existence of their confrontational society.

A Photo I took of the Codorniu winery, one of our many site visits and one of the most beautiful areas we visited

I now have an enhanced understanding of integration and alignment of a business

This trip, and more specifically the site visits, has helped me understand how companies integrate and align their business across the globe. While this is not a quote, some Barcelona site visits, which were at least HP and Abertis, from what I remember, mentioned that English is the main language of the company. Before this trip, it never crossed my mind that a company that is even only slightly global could find a use in unifying the language they speak in the workplace. I have come to understand now that doing such a thing can be incredibly useful, as English is probably the most commonly taught language in the world, from I can assume. Also, this language is very useful for communicating with people from other countries, as they are probably use to different business and cultural norms, like structure, which in Spain is, “‘top down’ with all key decisions being made by the boss”. Communicating throughout the business in one language is helpful in this case because not every employee is use to a top down format, but that can be communicated easily through the shared language of English. This goes to prove the importance of the site visits on this trip.

Overall, this trip has helped to greatly improve myself in a business sense, a personal sense, and as a whole.

Blog 5: For Future Students: Explore more than just Madrid and Barcelona – Erik Carrasquillo

A Beautiful view of Spanish Countryside I photographed in Segovia, Spain

Introduction

Spain is a beautiful country with so much to appreciate. However, on this trip, most of the time is spent in Madrid and Barcelona. These cities are very interesting in their own right, but these cities are so busy with tourists and locals that you could feel cramped and overwhelmed whilst being in them for a week each. Therefore, exploring more of Spain will help enrich and improve your experience.

Segovia is a beautiful city near Madrid with much to enjoy

One place that is a fantastic travel spot in Spain is the city of Segovia. The city, which is about thirty minutes northwest of Madrid, is a much smaller and more quaint town that anyone can enjoy. The city has multiple unique and interesting structures from centuries of years ago.

A photo I took of the astounding Ancient Roman Aqueduct in Segovia

Segovia is home to an incredible and ancient Roman Aqueduct

One such structure is the ancient roman aqueduct. As you enter Segovia, the aqueduct is basically the first thing you see. It is unmistakable and quite marvelous with its impressive size. The more you look at, the more you wonder how it could have been made, as you can see all the intricacies of it.

A photo I took of the magnificent Alcázar of Segovia

The Alcázar of Segovia is a marvelous structure that inspired Disney

Another historic and intricate marvel in architecture in Segovia is the Alcázar of Segovia, which is a marvel in architecture that dates back to around the 1200s. As opposed to Madrid and Barcelona, ancient castles like this one are not located in those larger cities. Also, the massiveness of the cities makes traveling to historic structures more annoying and lengthy. The smallness of Segovia makes traversing it much easier, and it is much easier to visit and enjoy the castle. Also the castle was a major inspiration to Disney when they designed their hallmark castle that appears before every film they’ve made.

This is a photo of the Gothic marvel that is the cathedral in Segovia

Segovia is also home to a beautiful Gothic cathedral that is easy to explore

One final wonder is Segovia’s ancient cathedral. This cathedral was built in the mid 1500s and is one of the final Gothic cathedrals built in Spain. The cathedral itself is an architectural spectacle that is also incredibly intricate and considered to be the Lady of Cathedrals. While there is a cathedral in Madrid and the Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, it can much easier and potentially more enjoyable to explore the Segovia cathedral. This is because it is easier to get into the cathedral, as it is also in the middle area of the town, and you can even explore its tower.

Overall, Segovia is a beautiful and quaint little town in Spain that is steeped in history. So, if you want to get away from the bustling and crowded streets of Madrid and Barcelona, I would recommend taking a trip to Segovia.

Blog 4: Spain Actually Is What The Culture Map Described It To Be – Erik Carrasquillo

A Photo I took of the Madrid Royal Palace that the royal family actually lives in

Introduction

In Spain, my experiences have proven what was stated in The Culture Map by Erin Meyer. Two of the dimensions I have seen proof of are Spain’s positions on the communication context and scheduling diagrams.

Madrid and Barcelona prove why Spain is the middle of the context graph

In Madrid, it was clear to me that, in that area at least, Spain’s communication style is much more nuanced and layered than the USA. This observation became clear from interactions with the locals. Whether it be at a restaurant or a museum, Madrid Spaniards did not attempt to communicate as directly as an American like myself. As a result, handling transactions at these places was a little more confusing. However, Barcelona provides a different angle.

The Context Diagram from The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

In Barcelona, there are many more tourists. As we were informed in our CIEE orientation, Barcelona is a much more touristy city. Therefore, the locals, especially the locals employed at restaurants and other places frequented by tourists, have to be more direct to get through to the foreigners who likely do not understand Spanish or Catalan. Also, several of the companies we visited in Barcelona mentioned how they have adopted English as the company’s main language, since numerous employees come from all around the world. In contrast, the companies we visited or had presentations at CIEE from in Madrid did not mention the heavy use of English in communicating within their company. It also seemed like more American companies expanded to Barcelona than Madrid, which further emphasizes the importance of mainly speaking in English within them.

Our Site Visits Help Prove the Difference in Scheduling between the USA and Spain

The other dimension I saw proof of on this trip is scheduling. With some of our site visits in Barcelona, we arrived to them at about the time expected according to Ray’s itinerary. However, a good few of the companies were not immediately ready to start their presentation. This, to me, is proof that Spaniards run on flexible time, which is basically that they are not bound by time constraints and do not set up meetings or anything else with the intent being to start right at the time they picked.

The Scheduling Diagram from The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Another instance of this that I picked up on was Paco, our guide in Madrid. While he did a good job arriving relatively on time to our meetings at the Bear and Tree Statue, we all arrived early or right at the provided time, and he arrived a couple minutes most of the time. Even though this was not a major time difference, it was still clear that Spaniards run on flexible time and Americans are much more linear.

In the case of Spain, while some cases might not be obvious, it is clear to see that at least some of the dimensions in the The Culture Map are actually accurate to this country.