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Article published In: In Search of Round Trips: Travelling concepts in translation studies and beyond
Edited by Cornelia Zwischenberger
[Translation in Society 4:1] 2025
► pp. 58–76

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Drawing on translation studies to advance cross-language research in organisation studies

Enriching transdisciplinary dialogue

ORCiD logo with link | London Metropolitan University
 | Oxford Brookes University
 | University of the West of England
 | University of the West of England
 | Bath Spa University
Published online: 3 July 2025
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/tris.24011.sch
Abstract
Despite longstanding calls for more transdisciplinary dialogue, there is still much to be gained from a closer collaboration between translation and organisation studies scholars. In this paper, we discuss how insights from translation studies can help advance cross-language research in organisation studies. We demonstrate how translation studies can provide valuable theoretical approaches, as well as concrete conceptual and methodological tools, to enrich the study of the movement and transformation of ideas and practices across cultures and languages. We also unpack how the nuanced approaches to translation developed in translation studies can be used to enhance what we call ‘translatorial awareness’ in organisation studies. This has significant implications for scholars, not only for designing, conducting and reporting cross-language research but also for theorising. We conclude by suggesting how translation studies scholars might seek motivation from our paper to engage in transdisciplinary work with organisation studies scholars and other social science disciplines.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Setting the scene for transdisciplinary collaboration: Studying the movement and transformation of ideas and practices across languages and cultures
  • 3.Insights from translation studies to strengthen a language-sensitive translation turn in organisation studies
  • 4.Methodological implications of a language-sensitive translation turn in organisation studies
  • 5.A case for translatorial awareness in organisation studies research
  • 6.Building translatorial awareness
  • 7.Conclusion
  • References
References (72)
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