Throughout this trip I have learned so much about how different businesses are run internationally when compared to us in the states, rather than working to make all the money you possibly could like we do here, in Iceland specifically, they go to their jobs and then they go home and enjoy their life. The people we spoke to were a little older and seemed to have no regards for a retirement plan or investing their money so that it could multiply. They were simply living their lives, going to a job they, for the most part, enjoy quite a bit! It really was a breath of fresh air and forced me to change my perspective a little, and take a step back. I also noticed the strong sense of community here, you don’t see every single business competing for customers and fighting to get the most attention and make the most profit, each business recommends another to anyone who asks. I will definitely be bringing this home with me and implementing it in my own line of work in the hospitality industry right now. I would love to be able to recommend not only the places we are told to recommend, but also businesses that align with my values that I have set for myself such as sustainability and being greener!
Center for International Business Studies Blog