Exploring Culture ─ Exercises, Stories, and Synthetic Cultures

This text is designed as a practical guide for cross-cultural trainers, educators, and students. Based in Geert Hofstede's (Tilburg U., Netherlands) work on national culture, the guide introduces Hofstede's "synthetic culture profiles," and links culture theory and learning practice through the synthetic cultures, stories and exercises. Readers will learn the three-part process of building awareness, knowledge, and skills to facilitate effective intercultural communication. The text can be used by students for self-study, or by educators and trainers in group settings. Gert Jan Hofstede, son of Geert Hofstede, is with Wageningen U., the Netherlands; Pedersen is with Syracuse U.'s School of Education. No subject index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Gert Jan Hofstede, son of Geert Hofstede, is a senior researcher and assistant professor in information technology at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has authored four books and numerous articles.Paul B. Pedersen is professor emeritus at Syracuse University and visiting professor, Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii. He is a well-known author and authority in the field of cross-cultural counseling. His best-known book is Handbook of Cross-Cultural Counseling and Therapy. For more information, visit his website at suedweb.syr.edu/chs/pedersenGeert H. Hofstede is an international authority in the field of cross-cultural social psychology and is cofounder of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation at Tilburg University, where he also serves as a senior fellow. Culture's Consequences and Cultures and Organizations are two of the books for which he is best known. For more information, visit his website at www.geert-hofstede.com