University Report: Reflective Paper on Spanish Culture & Business

This reflective paper offers an in-depth analysis of Spanish culture and its influence on the business environment, drawing upon an expatriate's personal experiences. The paper explores essential aspects such as work-life balance, the significance of long lunch breaks, and the impact of hierarchical structures in business organizations. It also touches upon the informal nature of recruitment and HR development processes, along with the importance of cultural adaptation, language proficiency, and understanding local customs for success. The report provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that expatriates face, including job security and the cost of living, and highlights key skills and abilities necessary for navigating the Spanish business landscape. The author also reflects on the importance of adapting to the local culture and values to thrive in a foreign country.

Running head: A REFLECTIVE PAPER ON SPANISH CULTURE & BUSINESS
A Reflective Paper on Spanish Culture & Business
Name of the university
Name of the student
Author note

1AN OVERVIEW OF SPANISH CULTURE & BUSINESS
Experience of working in Spain: An expatriate’s diary
One of the primary criteria of being an expatriate in any foreign location is to adopt
the native culture and language as soon as possible after the migration (Ferraro and Briody
2013). The management chose me for this international project not only based on my
technological skills and prior experience of working in foreign projects but also they took my
primary knowledge of Spanish language under consideration. An expatriate should have the
quality of adjusting with the culture and values of the new place. Being an experienced
expatriate, I enjoy travelling from one place to another and working in different countries
always encourage me to work with more energy (Parnian, Hosseini and Fen 2013).
Simultaneously, different cultural backdrops help me to enrich my knowledge about various
nations yet initial challenges are there in the initial stage of migration (Huete, Mantecón and
Estévez 2013).
Although, I knew Spanish language as I studied it in my school yet to gain further
knowledge on it, I took communicative Spanish classes and I have discovered that I have to
work on pronouncing the words properly. The quality of Spanish lifestyle is great yet not
everyone can cope up with the flow. They focus on living the life more than working and
earning money. Probably, for this reason, the unemployment rate in Spain is relatively high
and expatriates face issues as far as job security is concerned. Lunch break is for two hours,
which reveals that people enjoy long discussions over food, and drink. As a result, of this
work schedule, workers like us stay in office up to 8 to 9 pm. Spanish business organisations
act according to immediate needs and do not believe in structured business plan. They always
evaluate situation based on its individual merits. Traditionally, people over there like to admit
power of the superior authority; therefore, one can find a strong hierarchical structure in most
of the business organisations of this country. The drawback with the recruitment process and

2AN OVERVIEW OF SPANISH CULTURE & BUSINESS
HR development is that both of these sectors are operated in an informal way. Spanish
interviews are conducted based on favoured personal contacts; in most of the cases, they
believe internal promotions.
The climate is enjoyable here in summer yet the beautiful houses are not very
comfortable during winters. Foods are affordable and healthy. The provided salary is low
comparatively, though the cost of living is low as well here. A good dressing sense, proper
use of Spanish lingo, punctuality and detail knowledge of the job role can make someone
successful in the Spanish business environment (Roth and Dana 2016).

3AN OVERVIEW OF SPANISH CULTURE & BUSINESS
References
Ferraro, G.P. and Briody, E.K., 2013. The cultural dimension of global business. Upper
Saddle River: Pearson.
Huete, R., Mantecón, A. and Estévez, J., 2013. Challenges in lifestyle migration research:
Reflections and findings about the Spanish crisis. Mobilities, 8(3), pp.331-348.
Parnian, A., Hosseini, N. and Fen, W.S., 2013. Adjustment, motivation for retention and
environmental similarity toward satisfaction among expatriate academics. Sains
Humanika, 64(3).
Roth, S. and Dana, L.P., 2016. 'What is your self-made expat story?'Netnography of
entrepreneurial re-users of a popular semantic. International Journal of Entrepreneurship
and Small Business, 28(4), pp.492-503.