During my time here in Barcelona, the biggest lesson I’ve learned about global business is how culture affects the way business is conducted. Personally, I don’t have much interest in the pursuit of monetary gain that dominates our capitalist society back home. Instead, I have a deep interest in how humans interact with one another, and I hadn’t seen this done particularly well until coming to Spain and actively looking for it.
One of my first observations is how conversational everything in Spain is oriented. In the US, the majority of businesses are set up to meet the customer’s needs exactly as they want, and if it’s done with a smile, then that’s considered good customer service. Take restaurants, for example. In the US, many places have table time limits, often set at two hours, so that the business can maximize profits by flipping tables. As someone who worked in the service industry for three years, I would make more money, but the labor was brutal, and it was difficult to develop meaningful conversations with guests because everything was so structured. Each table just blended together into a formula of asking for drinks, delivering drinks, and asking for appetizers, and so on.
Here in Spain, there is no rush to leave, no strict schedule for service, and no expectation that the server will read your mind whenever you’re ready to order. To me, it’s a more human experience. Since living here, my friends and I have had great conversations with many people who work in the service industry. It seems that the culture here supports a more generous behavior of human connection, like lending a hand. One of the greatest trends I’ve observed is how everyone lends a hand to one another, especially to the homeless. People are always giving to the homeless, and performers with even modest talent rarely come away with an empty hat. This happens in the US as well, but not nearly as much as I’ve seen here.
Spain, being a mixed capitalist society, seems to maintain the humanity of its citizens as a central principle, whereas in the US, a completely capitalist society, this humanity often seems neglected. I’m not arguing against capitalism in any way, just pointing out a trend I’ve noticed in Spain versus the United States.
In summary, from my experience here in Spain, the Spanish culture impacts businesses by protecting and valuing human interaction, even at the cost of income and profits.
