The Summer 2005 Issue contains a.o. the following articles:

INTERVIEW

From the Point of View of... Guenael Mettraux
“Having said all that we’ve said about culture, I think we have to go beyond the traditional perceptions and research. Because even though it has been seminal, important and of breakthrough-importance, most of the cultural research and framework for thinking about cultures originated in a pre-global world, in which businesses needed to find a way to understand cultures and to work with each other in a global way that they never had before. These studies reflect the time during which they were conducted, as much as the conclusions they reveal about culture. It is time to move beyond, to find new ways to understand cultures.” We now live in a post-global world, that has its own factors; global forces that have their impact on traditional cultures, rather than just traditional dimensions of specific differences.”
Dean Foster

To read more about Dean Foster's work, visit: www.learnaboutcultures.com  or send an e-mail to info@dfa-europe.com
Stephanie Dijkstra
 

LEGAL AFFAIRS

Knowledge Migrants: Back to the Drawing Board?
The new regulation on knowledge migrants was introduced at the start of this year. Despite lofty promises that the processing time of the requests would be kept short – at the most, two weeks – reality has shown that, in most cases, processing times are at least double this period. The author feels feel that it is important that employers and employees realize this, so that they can prepare themselves for the fact that the preparation time for bringing knowledge migrants to the Netherlands is likely going to be longer. This is due to the fact, among others, that the IND has introduced a number of additional conditions for those employers who want to make use of the knowledge migrants regulation but are not yet registered with the IND (Immigration and Naturalization Service).
www.loyensloeff.com
Nico van Dijk
 

EXPATRIATE MANAGEMENT

Some Characteristics of Dutch Management
This article offers a brief overview of the main cultural, social and linguistic characteristics of Dutch society. Five dimensions – Hierarchy and Power Relationships, Time Perception, Language, Space and Non-Verbal Communication, Material Factors and Gifts – highlight what Dutch management is all about, in comparison to other countries.
After all, so says the author; "In business, making deals means reaching commercial compromises between business interests that initially differ from one another. A cultural compromise, or even better, a reconciliation of apparently divergent values, should also be part of this process."
Vincent Merk
 

COLUMNS

How to Survive the Dutch Railway System
Or: About Cable Ruptures And Phone Calls With The Psychiatrist

 The Netherlands seemingly are a boring country, horizontal with no real adventures in sight, except perhaps if you had the mischievous inclination to steal tulips from Keukenhof, ignore Koninginnedag (Queen’s day) or survive on Dutch food.
Or use the train. Dutch trains are the definite answer to adventurous people. You want to read on? Sure?
Okay, here we go.

Claudia Diers-Lienke shares her experiences with us...
e-mail: claudia@lienke.net

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