Cover not available
Article published In:
Target
Vol. 16:2 (2004) ► pp.253–287

Acquiring capabilities in translation

Towards a model of translation businesses

| University of Surrey, UK / United Kingdom
| University of Surrey, UK / United Kingdom
There is increasing pressure on all industries to introduce Quality Management Systems, a development which has now also found entry into the translation industry. Industrial standards like the ISO family provide the basis of many such systems; however, for several reasons, such process-based standards are regarded by many as inappropriate for translation businesses. One common factor considered in this article is their failure to emphasise the role of people both in the definition of the processes and in their implementation. The present article proposes a new model for translation businesses, accepting the importance of people in the translation industry and recognising that process-driven quality systems may be inadequate in maintaining consistent levels of quality. The model is based on identifying the capabilities that incorporate the processes of an organisation and the behaviours embodied in the people involved in these processes. In this article, the model is referred to as Acquired Capabilities for Translation Systems (ACTS).
Keywords: translation industry, translation process, capabilities, behaviours, quality assessment, standards, innovation, networking
Article outline
  • Introduction
  • Acquired capabilities for translation systems—The ACTS model
    • 1.Overview
    • 2.Capabilities and behaviours
      • 2.1Level
        • 2.1.1Professionalism
        • 2.1.2Commitment
        • 2.1.3Discipline
      • 2.2Level 2
        • 2.2.1Organisation
        • 2.2.2Communication
        • 2.2.3Teamwork
      • 2.3Level 3
        • 2.3.1Consistency
        • 2.3.2Service
      • 2.4Level 4
        • 2.4.1Refinement
        • 2.4.2Self-reflection
      • 2.5Level 5
        • 2.5.1Innovation
        • 2.5.2Embracing change
    • 3.Discussion
  • Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 12 October 2005
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/target.16.2.04tho
References (28)
References
Bank, John. 1992. The essence of Total Quality Management. New York-London: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Chesterman, Andrew and Emma Wagner. 2002. Can theory help translators?: A dialogue between the ivory tower and the wordface. Manchester: St. Jerome.Google Scholar
Deming, Edwards. 1992. Out of the crisis: Quality, productivity and competitive position. 18th edition (1st edition 1982). Cambridge etc.: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Drane, Steve. 1994. “BS5750 and the translation industry”. Picken 1994 : 30–33.Google Scholar
Fogarty, Eyvor. 1994. “Report of discussion”. Picken 1994 : 57–60.Google Scholar
Gardam, John. 1994. “A quality standard for translations”. Picken 1994 : 34–41.Google Scholar
George, Philip and Luca Salice. 1994. “Quality assurance in quality circles”. Picken 1994 : 42–46.Google Scholar
Gilbert, David. 2003. Retail marketing management. Harlow-London: Financial Times Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Groenroos, Christian. 1984. “A service quality model and its marketing implications”. Euro¬pean journal of marketing 18:4. 36–44.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hazman, Shah Abdullah. 1998. “What’s this thing called quality?”. <[URL]>, 28.7.2004.Google Scholar
Heltai, Pál. 1997. “Minimal translation”. Kinga Klaudy and János Kohn, eds. Transferre necesse est. Budapest: Scholastica, 1997. 117–123.Google Scholar
Kinderbuchverlag Berlin. 1983. “Literatur des Auslands: Gespräch mit Übersetzern”. Beiträge zur Kinder- und Jugendliteratur 681. 54–68.Google Scholar
Kiraly, Don. 2000. A social constructivist approach to translator education: Empowerment from theory to practice. Manchester: St. Jerome.Google Scholar
Koo, Siu Ling and Harold Kinds. 2000. “A quality-assurance model for language projects”. Sprung 2000 : 147–157.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kovács, Peter. 2002. “Stopping the standards? DIN2345—from translation standards to perfect competition”. Language international 14:5. 23–25.Google Scholar
Lambert, José. 1996. “Language and translation as management problems: A new task for education”. Cay Dollerup and Vibeke Appel, eds. Teaching translation and interpreting 3: New horizons. Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1996. 271–293.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Malmkjær, Kirsten. 1994. “Translating customer expectations into teaching”. Picken 1994 : 143–155.Google Scholar
Mistry, V. and Bob Usherwood. 2000. “Total Quality Management, British standard accreditation, investors in people and academic libraries”. <[URL]>, 10.8.2004.Google Scholar
Mossop, Brian. 2001. Revising and editing for translators. Manchester: St. Jerome.Google Scholar
Ørsted, Jeannette. 2001. “Quality and efficiency: Incompatible elements in translation practice?”. Meta XLVI:2. 438–447.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Paulk, Mark C. Bill Curtis, Mary Beth Chrissis and Charles V. Weber. 1993. Capability maturity model for software, Version 1.1. Pittsburgh: Carnegie Mellon University. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Petersen, Margrethe. 1996. “Translation and quality management: Some implications for the theory, practice and teaching of translation”. Hermes: Journal of linguistics 161. 201–220.Google Scholar
Picken, Catrionaed. 1994. Quality—Assurance, management and control. ITI Conference 7. London: ITI, the Institute of Translation & Interpreting.Google Scholar
Sager, Juan. 1994. Language engineering and translation: Consequences of automation. Am-sterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Sprung, Roberted. 2000. Translating into success: Cutting-edge strategies for going multilingual in a global age. Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
. 2000a. “Mission-critical: Translating for regulated industries”. Sprung 2000 : 173–186.   DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Turner, Ron and Linda Turner. 1998. “W. Edwards Deming’s fourteen points and seven deadly diseases of management”. <[URL]>, 12.8.2004Google Scholar
Wealleans, David. 2000. The quality audit for ISO 9001: 2000: A practical guide. Brookfield-Aldershot: Gower.Google Scholar
Cited by (3)

Cited by three other publications

Conde, Tomás
2012. Quality and quantity in translation evaluation: A starting point. Across Languages and Cultures 13:1 ► pp. 67 ff. DOI logo
Biel, Łucja
2011. Professional Realism in the Legal Translation Classroom: Translation Competence and Translator Competence. Meta 56:1 ► pp. 162 ff. DOI logo
Garcia, Ignacio
2008. Translating and Revising for Localisation: What do We Know? What do We Need to Know?. Perspectives 16:1-2 ► pp. 49 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 19 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.