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Part of
Translating Asymmetry – Rewriting Power
Edited by Ovidi Carbonell i Cortés and Esther Monzó-Nebot
[Benjamins Translation Library 157] 2021
► pp. 145–168

Chapter 7
Responsibility, powerlessness, and conflict

An ethnographic case study of boundary management in translation

ORCID logo | University of Vienna
ORCID logo | University of Vienna
ORCID logo | University of Vienna

A growing body of research shows the existence of tensions, frictions, and conflicts in translation production networks, pointing to the key role therein of agency, trust, communication, and technology. However, there are few empirical investigations that include the different actors in one and the same network and analyse the perspectives and practices of both clients and vendors. This paper draws on an ethnographic field study in which participant observation and qualitative interviews were used to study translation clients in a major international corporation as well as a translation agency with which they collaborate. The research looks at conflicts in their areas of contact, how these are handled and their consequences. The analysis yields rich, emotional narratives on how the different actors perceive each other and deal with power asymmetries. It reveals conflicting and ambiguous expectations regarding mutual responsibilities that lead to mistrust, power plays, fear, and frustration.

Keywords: conflict, translation network, field research, translation project management, boundary management, boundary spanner
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction: When something feels amiss in the field
  • 2.Exploring conflicts
    • 2.1Defining conflict
    • 2.2Studies on conflicts in translation research
  • 3.Case study and methods
    • 3.1An ethnography of multiple sites: TechCo and TransAg
    • 3.2Method
  • 4.Results
    • 4.1The customer perspective
      • 4.1.1Lack of time, money, and recognition
      • 4.1.2Discord regarding accountabilities and responsibilities
      • 4.1.3Complex social and technical network structures
    • 4.2The translation agency perspective
      • 4.2.1Technical problems
      • 4.2.2Lack of trust
      • 4.2.3Quality of the interfaces
      • 4.2.4Compromises and conflict avoidance
  • 5.Discussion: Insights from organisational studies and reconceptualisation
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Note
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 16 August 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/btl.157.07ris
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