Spain

Acceptable Public Behavior

  • 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.

Business Attire

  • 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

Conversations and Networking

  • 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.

Meetings, Presentations, and Negotiation Tactics

  • 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.

Dinner Etiquette

  • 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