About Spain - Infrastructure

These About Spain articles are not about tourism, although Spain is a beautiful country.
They are meant to function as a reference for management and organization. Spain is the decor to which common business issues are mirrored. Each company is struggling with certain issues, just in the same way that a government and the inhabitants of a country are dealing with similar topics; distribution, priorities, communication, investments, infrastructure. (Corporate) Governance. And many others.
When you live and work in a foreign country you automatically compare that country with your own. During the process of adaptation you wonder about the differences and you will not only get to know a new country, the process also sheds some new lights on your own background.
One of the first (relevant) differences is the topic of infrastructure. Infrastructure is therefore important both for an organization as for countries, because infrastructure is about quality. And when you examine the style of an organization you come across at least two possible ways of dealing with infrastructure.
But let's first search for a definition. What are we talking about? Infrastructure is a very broad area; here are some definitions :

• The basic physical systems of a country's or community's population, including roads, utilities, water, sewage, etc. These systems are considered essential for enabling productivity in the economy. Developing infrastructure often requires large initial investment, but the economies of scale tend to be significant. (www.investorwords.com)
• As a Base; the stock of basic facilities and capital equipment needed for the functioning of a country or area; "the industrial base of Japan" As a Substructure; the basic structure or features of a system or organization (www.wordreference.com)

The definition I favor will include also elements like; education, safety, and other aspects of national governance.
Possible ways of handling an organizational infrastructure are; pave the way (the infrastructure) once it is clear that you need it (1) or; prepare and plan the infrastructure up front before rolling out new business developments.
The advantage is of the first is that it is the most flexible way; you only start investing in new roads, etc...once people really start using them. "Let's first check whether this road will really be used, before paving it..."
This approach seems the preference way in Spain. Big real estate projects will start their developments at fallow areas. Later on, roads will be constructed or improved. Normally this wouldn't be a problem. Yet, water is another element of infrastructure. Recently however, a real-estate development project was cancelled because of insufficient water supplies. The infrastructure wasn't ready.
In the Netherlands, you wouldn't easy encounter those kinds of problems; they prefer the other way, where infrastructure, care and governmental support are often leading (although there is a trend in the other direction).
The origin of this infrastructural difference could be traced to the differences in the nature (and not the culture) of both countries. Holland is small and flat and therefore easily endowed with infrastructure. The Spanish countryside is extensive rough and uneven.
Yet the other cause is the cultural difference; The Netherlands have always had (like other northern countries) an elevated collective sector, whereas Spain is a country with many individual 'States' struggling for more autonomy; and that doesn't benefit a "collective" support.