”I’ve been in a few meetings where Spanish senior managers were shouting at people. I cannot say it for sure, but I had the feeling it was common practice, for me it was very uncomfortable.”
“In some cultures, people go straight to the point and in some, they describe more the situation before they get to the point. I was working as an interpreter in South Spain so I could say in one sentence in polish what my Spanish manager was saying in 5 minutes”
”Business meetings in Spain was a lunch meeting or dinner, 70% not “work-related” and 15% About Family, 15% about work. Dutch people are straightforward, in many countries it is seen as rude."
“The lunch culture is very different between Poland and Spain. In Poland, most of my colleagues would eat a quick sandwich during the day, or a small salad at their desk. Here, in Spain, a 3 course meal followed by coffee appears to be an everyday thing.“
“Talking about personal matters is not unusual at work even during meetings. It is commonly used to begin a meeting in a more relaxed way.“
“In general, quality standards in Spain are below to other countries (i.e. Asian countries) and it is preferred to have an output in a short period of time instead of investing plenty of time to obtain an output with a high level of quality.”
“It is great that employees get along and have a good communication, but it can also be irritating when too much time is spent on talking about private life during working hours... They take things too personally at work”
“Some employees treat the co-workers they don’t like in a different way as they treat the ones they like. This is a very childish and not a very professional attitude as work should be taken as work not as something personal. Every co-worker should be treated in the same way no matter how much you like or dislike him/ her."
“In the United States it is considered rude and disrespectful to interrupt others as they speak, particularly in meetings and professional settings. In Spain it is a normal occurrence and seen as partaking in the conversation. I have found it difficult at times to not get upset by the almost constant interjections and I have to remind myself that it is not done out of spite.”
“The Spanish people I work with seem mainly to be extremely respectful of hierarchy and authority whereas Australians typically will not respect people until they consider the respect has been earned (something to do with the convict past some people suggest!)”.