Spain Final Reflection – Alexandra Ong

Doing business in Spain versus the United States can look very different. From my study abroad experience, I quickly noticed that Spain has a much more collectivist society. Goals that benefit the group over the individual are more emphasized. Examples of this that I saw include that individuals in Barcelona are more open to wearing masks and taxes are much higher in order to fund programs that benefit society. This makes teamwork and group reward critical when doing business. We had the privilege of visiting BCN Activa, a local development agency. This company is government-funded and provides employment services to promote high employment and entrepreneurship. This is not something you would find in the United States. Additionally, the economic, social, and environmental goals for the country are very interconnected and cannot be separated. In the United States, we tend to prioritize different goals and see these sectors as separate which is completely different from the way it is done in Spain. I learned so much about business, life, and myself on this trip and recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone who is interested. When people ask me how my experience was, my response is always, “It was a dream.” If you have the chance to go to Spain DO IT. It will not disappoint.