Comparing Cultures ─ Dimensions of Culture in a Comparative Perspective

Twenty-six international academics contribute 12 chapters derived from the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation's April 2001 conference held at Tilburg U., the Netherlands. They explore the relevant differences and similarities of contemporary cultural dimensions with which countries, organizations, and people can be compared and present empirical studies and theoretical elaborations on a range of topics, including nationalism, immigration, maternity care, employee empowerment, and negotiating behavior. Contributing authors include renowned leaders of major cross-cultural research programs, such as Harry Triandis, Shalom Schwartz, Ronald Inglehart, Wolfgang Jagodzinski, and Geert Hofstede, as well as Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Henk Vinken, Ph.D. (1997) in Social Sciences, Tilburg University, is Director of IRIC, Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation, at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, and has published widely on culture, value change, youth, generations, and the life-course.Joseph Soeters (1954) is Professor of Social Sciences and Management at the Royal Netherlands's Military Academy and Professor of Organizational Sociology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. His main research interests focus on international cooperation between organizations; in addition, he works on Human Resources and diversity management (both in a Western and non-Western context). Peter Ester (1953) is Professor of Sociology at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, Director of OSA, Institute for Labor Studies, and Program Director Civil Society at GLOBUS, Institute for Globalization and Sustainable Development. He was visiting professor at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and ZUMA, Center for Survey Methodology and Analysis (Mannheim) and authored over 160 publications. Ester is the former chairman of the Dutch Association of Social and Cultural Sciences.