First off, I would like to say how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Portugal during these last two weeks. This trip was my first time abroad and I had a wonderful time, and I can?t wait to come back later. Previously, I had talked about how I was blown away from the start by how welcoming and friendly the people of Portugal were. Everywhere we drove or walked by was so beautiful because the architecture and landscape in Portugal are so astonishing. It was so hard to say goodbye to a beautiful country like Portugal. During my time abroad I learned so much about their culture and how they conduct business. Reflecting on this experience, I enjoyed being able to see what the world has to offer beyond the American experience and expand my horizons. I was amazed at how different Portugal is compared to the U.S., not only in their culture but in how they conduct business as well.
During our trip to Portugal, we had the opportunity to engage in corporate visits where we were able to learn more about Portuguese companies. We visited a bakery, cork farm, porcelain company, textiles company, and a winery and vineyard. During these visits we were able to learn about the industry leaders of Portugal, and what the country is known for producing. Before coming to this trip, I did not know that Portugal was one of the leaders in the cork production of the world, how delicious is the pastel de Natas, or how fine Port wine is. Just like in the U.S. Portuguese are in business to make a profit and make a name for themselves, but their economic drivers differ. In the U.S. companies tend to be worried the most about their bottom-line and how to increase their profits as much as they can, cutting costs wherever possible. American companies like to talk about actions they are making to help the environment, how they are working to reduce carbon emissions, or how they are trying to reduce waste. But for the most part, it?s just talking or a goal in the distant future. However, for Portuguese companies, the view on sustainability is different, because it?s central to how they do business, and they take actions to take care of the environment. All the companies that we visited had this same mindset in common, and they talked about how they cared for preserving the beauty of their country. The Portuguese are very long-term oriented, and they are always working to make sure that they take good care of their businesses so that they can pass them down to their grandkids and family. It was interesting to learn that cork farmers aren?t able to reap benefits or profits from cork production until 25 years after the cork is initially harvested. This amazed me because in America we are so used to trying to generate profit as soon as possible. But even when cork production takes so long to produce, cork farms can make a profit because of the actions of their ancestors who pass down their fruits from one generation to the next. During this trip, I also learned about how these companies were taking active steps to be sustainable, whether it was using electric vehicles, recycling textiles, or using local ingredients and goods to make their products and services. When doing business in Portugal, companies also place a huge emphasis on relationships and building a strong foundation with those they work with from the beginning. In Portugal, businesses are successful because they emphasize getting to know their partners and customers so that they can be closely connected and know what their target markets want. Even though Portuguese companies don?t place a huge emphasis on the bottom line like in the U.S., they still achieve profits and are successful because they stay true to their values and who they are.
Words can’t describe how much I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about international business in a European country like Portugal. I appreciated being able to experience a different culture and see a different view of the world. I can’t wait to be back again one day.?
Until next time, Portugal!