The Cultural Report of Spain
The Cultural Report of Spain
Student name: Guolei Li (070145)
Date: 8, August, 2009
Words: 1493
Introduction
In order to deal with businesses in the overseas market it is necessary to be aware of their cultural heritage. The purpose of this report is introducing and addressing the key cultural features of Spain. It is important for businesspersons to avoid some cultural mistakes in their trips to Spain. The report has pointed two main views which are general cultures and business cultures in Spain. For general cultures, it gives information on language and communication, religion, social structure and value and attitude. The business cultures include daily office protocols, management styles, boss and subordinate relations, meeting styles, negotiation styles and written correspondence.
General cultures
Language and communication
Spain’s national language is Spanish. Two of the minority languages of the nation are Gallego and Catalan. Spanish has been used in national-level exchanges and in wide-scale commerce throughout modern times in Spain. In communicated cultures, Spain tends towards being a high-context culture. This means that much of the message will be implied in the context of the communication and is influenced by the background and basic values of the communicator (Fletcher, R. & Brown, L. 2008). This is similar with China which is also a high-context cultural country.
Religion
Spain has been a Catholic country for centuries, and Catholicism was the official religion for most of recent history. Therefore, in Spain, students, visitors and practitioners of other faiths must all understand this catholic environment if they are to understand Spanish national culture.
Social structure
The top of Spain’s social pyramid is occupied by the royal family, followed by the titled nobility and aristocratic families. But in today’s modern and
Student name: Guolei Li (070145)
Date: 8, August, 2009
Words: 1493
Introduction
In order to deal with businesses in the overseas market it is necessary to be aware of their cultural heritage. The purpose of this report is introducing and addressing the key cultural features of Spain. It is important for businesspersons to avoid some cultural mistakes in their trips to Spain. The report has pointed two main views which are general cultures and business cultures in Spain. For general cultures, it gives information on language and communication, religion, social structure and value and attitude. The business cultures include daily office protocols, management styles, boss and subordinate relations, meeting styles, negotiation styles and written correspondence.
General cultures
Language and communication
Spain’s national language is Spanish. Two of the minority languages of the nation are Gallego and Catalan. Spanish has been used in national-level exchanges and in wide-scale commerce throughout modern times in Spain. In communicated cultures, Spain tends towards being a high-context culture. This means that much of the message will be implied in the context of the communication and is influenced by the background and basic values of the communicator (Fletcher, R. & Brown, L. 2008). This is similar with China which is also a high-context cultural country.
Religion
Spain has been a Catholic country for centuries, and Catholicism was the official religion for most of recent history. Therefore, in Spain, students, visitors and practitioners of other faiths must all understand this catholic environment if they are to understand Spanish national culture.
Social structure
The top of Spain’s social pyramid is occupied by the royal family, followed by the titled nobility and aristocratic families. But in today’s modern and
References: Cabrera, E & Carretero, J, 2005, ‘HUMAN REVIEW MANAGEMENT IN SPAIN: Are Cultural Barriers Preventing the Adoption of Global Practices?’, Management Research. Armonk:Spring, Vol. 3, Iss. 2, p. 149-160 Countries and Their Cultures, 2006, Culture of Spain, viewed 8 August 2009, < http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Spain.html>. Fletcher, R. & Brown, L. 2008, International marketing: An Asia-Pacific perspective (4th ed.). Frenchs Forest, NSW: Prentice Hall. Going Global Career Guides. Spain, 2006, Cultural Advice, ABI/INFORM Global, pg.99 Pavoni, S, 2007, ‘FDI Strategy: Spain- Spanish lessons’, Foreign Direct Investment. London:Aug/Sep 2007. p. 1