Culture Shock

When I first arrived for my semester abroad in Spain, it was hard to understand how anything ever got done in business. The Spanish people prize their siesta time, lunch is a three-hour affair (with wine, of course) and the night does not end until at least 2 am. Even when they are working, the Spanish have a much more laid-back attitude about, for example, task completion. They figure, why worry if it will get done eventually?

The adjustment is frustrating for American students who, three weeks into their classes, have not been formally matriculated, have no syllabus and do not know what materials are even needed for the course. The pervasive cultural attitude of work "as a necessary evil" creates an environment that values leisure and happiness at a level above productivity. (1) Relationships matter and often overpower the actual "work" side of working. In a tutorial for British nationals looking to work in Spain, the BBC cautions that individuals should "be prepared" for work to get personal. (2)

While work does matter to the Spaniards, it will never be the be-all end-all that it is for Americans. From the Spanish perspective, Americans will never be content with what they have. They, on the other hand, believe that by minimizing the pressures of work, they are able to better enjoy the simple pleasures in life, as well as the greater joys of culture and family. "Workaholism is not fashionable in Spain." (3)

In 2008, Spain's GDP per capita was $31,960, compared to the United State's $47,580. (4) But this does not explain everything. For example, the Spaniards enjoyed a longer life expectancy at birth (81 years versus 78). (5)

Given that the Spanish as a whole value leisure over work (the opposite being true in the United States), their GDP alone cannot give insight into the "wealth" of the nation. (6)

The fact that the Spanish have a generally weaker work ethic than Americans, and the reality of their culture offers an explanation as to why the GDP is lower (and why doing business with Spaniards is relatively difficult). Culture is a difficult variable to quantify, but it does offer some explanation for the numerical differences in material wealth between the United States and Spain.

But on the other hand: never discount the value of a mid-afternoon nap.

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(1) Weil, David. Economic Growth. Boston: Pearson Education Inc., 2009. pp. 410

(2) "Spanish for Work," BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/forwork/beingthere/systems.shtml. Accessed on Feb. 16, 2010.

(3) Wattley-Ames, Helen. Spain is Different. Yarmouth, Maine: Intercultural Press Inc., 1992. Accessible on Google Books

(4) World Bank, www.worldbank.org. Accessed on Feb. 16, 2010

(5) Ibid.

(6) Weil 411