Translation activities in MNEs - Case Nordea

Abstract

Objectives: This study focuses on studying translation activities that take place in multinational companies in the service industry. As the focus is on the departments of the company outside the translation department, it gives a picture of the additional workload that employees have in their daily routines. The framework is created by using existing literature and interview data to form a picture of translation activities as a phenomenon. The interview data also lead towards finding the main effects of translation activities on the employees. Research method and data: Various interviews were conducted to form a picture of the work routines of the employees and to see how translation activities are present in them. Three forms of interviews took place, namely individual interviews, a group discussion, and a focus group. These interviews were used as the main source of information. In addition, secondary data were used to form a general picture of language issues in the academic world. Results: Many translation activities take place outside the translation department. Some employees perceive it as a part of their work that they cannot control, others feel that the additional work coming from translation activities is a burden, and some see it as a welcome addition to their daily routines. Social networking is a way to solve problems related to translation activities in addition to technical tools. Employees are concerned most by the quality of their translations and the time consumption. Multinational companies have to find a way to provide their employees with resources to produce quality translations in a limited time to meet the needs of the banking industry, which is rapidly internationalizing.