- The pace of life in Spain is much more leisurely than it
is in America. Time is more flexible.
- Smoking is much more acceptable in Spain; people will
smoke during business dinners.
- Spaniards enjoy less personal space than Americans do.
Stepping back from people will likely be seen as offensive.
- Gender stereotyping is prevalent in parts of Spain;
women are expected to take care of the home.
- The American symbol for “ok” is considered vulgar in
Spain.
- The pace of driving in Spain is very fast paced and can
take awhile to become acclimated to.
- General
- It is important to dress well in business settings.
Under normal conditions, showing a lot of skin is inappropriate, but as the
weather gets hotter, it is ok to wear short sleeves and lighter fabrics.
- Shorts are not accept
- Men
- Men should wear linen or woolen suits with silk ties.
- During the hottest months, it is acceptable to remove
your suit jacket.
- Women
- Women should wear high quality fabrics.
- Dresses or business suits are acceptable attire.
-
Avoid wearing
anything that may appear to be provocative, as that is frowned upon
- Good conversation topics include sports, your home
country, Spanish traditions and history and your family.
- Topics to avoid discussing include religion, feminism,
Civil War and World War II and personal questions.
- The business culture is rooted in hierarchy, so it is
normal for the boss to be the one to make any decisions.
- It is important to remain patient in business
transactions, as the pace at which decisions are made can be slow.
- Always try to build rapport with your colleagues as
feelings are as important as evidence in making a decision to the Spanish.
- It is a good idea to include a paper summary of your
presentation in Spanish to hand out to audiences to make sure that they
understand what you are saying.
- Lunch is the best time to have business lunches,
however, it is common for business people to go home over their lunch time and
be with their families.
- It is rare to be invited to the home of a business
person, so if you are invited, be careful of turning down the invitation.
- If you want to include spouses to a dinner party, only
bring your spouse if your guest is bringing theirs.
- Be careful when ordering drinks as they are generally
mixed much stronger in Spain than in America.
- Knives and forks should be placed side by side on your
plate when you are done eating. This is a sign that you do not want more
food.
Source
A summary of this information can be found at Executive Planet.
For more information go to:
http://www.executiveplanet.com |
