Trapped in conformity? Translating reputation management into practice

Wæraas, Arild; Sataøen, Hogne Lerøy

doi:10.1016/j.scaman.2013.05.002

Cited by 72 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The examples provided herein are studies of translations of global ideas in various contexts, such as Total Quality Management (Erçek and Say ; Giroux and Taylor ; Özen and Berkman ), Balanced Scorecard (Ax and Bjørnenak ; Madsen ), diversity management (Boxenbaum ; Klarsfeld ), shareholder value (Meyer and Höllerer ), business process re‐engineering (Heusinkveld et al . ), reputation management (Wæraas and Sataøen ), lean (Andersen and Røvik ; Morris and Lancaster ) and international auditing standards (Mennicken ). Thus, while everything is everywhere, it is also different everywhere.…”

Section: The Translation Approach In Organization Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge Transfer as Translation: Review and Elements of an Instrumental Theory

Røvik

2016

Int J Management Reviews

167

199

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Based on a literature review, this paper investigates the potential of translation theory to energize the study of knowledge transfer between source and recipient organizational units. The central assumption is that translation theory is not only useful for analyzing knowledge-transfer processes, but also has the potential to guide deliberate interventions in such processes. Based on this premise, and drawing on insights from the neighboring academic discipline of translation studies, the author outlines the elements of an instrumental translation theory, with the aim of developing knowledge about how to conduct translations of practices and ideas to achieve various organizational ends in knowledge transfers. The instrumental theory is founded on two main arguments. The first is that knowledge transfers between organizations are rule-based translation processes. The second is that the way in which translators use various translation rules and perform translations may be decisive for outcomes of knowledge-transfer processes. This study develops a typology of three translation modes (the reproducing, the modifying and the radical mode) and four appurtenant translation rules (copying, addition, omission and alteration), and discusses which translation rules fit which conditions. The author identifies three critical conditional variables in knowledge transfers -the translatability of the source practice, the transformability of the transferred knowledge, and the similarity between source and recipient units -and discusses the appropriateness of each translation rule in relation to these variables.

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Section: The Translation Approach In Organization Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge Transfer as Translation: Review and Elements of an Instrumental Theory

Røvik

2016

Int J Management Reviews

167

199

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Furthermore, some studies explore the possibility of translations following rules that can be identified and described as regularities and patterns (Kirkpatrick et al . ; Morris and Lancaster ; Sahlin‐Andersson ; Teulier and Rouleau ; Wæraas and Sataøen ). To some extent, this understanding of translation represents a break with the notion that translations unfold unpredictably, resembling more Callon's notion of translations involving convergences and homologies.…”

Section: Three ‘Translations’ Of Translation Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The shared characteristic of these contributions is the conception of translation as a change process that leads to modifications in both the spreading construct and the adopting organization. On the basis of this understanding of translation, and with almost no references to ANT and knowledge‐based works on translation in organization studies, many studies have focused on how individual organizations pick up, adopt and incorporate largely conceptual ideas such as lean (Morris and Lancaster ), reputation management (Wæraas and Sataøen ), Total Quality Management (Özen and Berkman ), MBA models (Mazza et al . ) and hospital management innovations (Kirkpatrick et al .…”

Section: Three ‘Translations’ Of Translation Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Translation Theory ‘Translated’: Three Perspectives on Translation in Organizational Research

Wæraas

Nielsen

2016

Int J Management Reviews

142

119

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Translation theory has proved to be a versatile analytical lens used by scholars working from different traditions. On the basis of a systematic literature review, this study adds to understanding of the 'translations' of translation theory by identifying the distinguishing features of the most common theoretical approaches to translation within the organization and management discipline: actor-network theory, knowledge-based theory and Scandinavian institutionalism. Although each of these approaches already has borne much fruit in research, the literature is diverse and somewhat fragmented, but also overlapping. The authors discuss the ways in which the three versions of translation theory may be combined and enrich each other so as to inform future research, thereby offering a more complete understanding of translation in and across organizational settings.

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“…Waeraas & Sataøen, 2014;Zilber, 2006) rather than using archival data, we have contributed to the literature on how we understand the translation of ideas first by explicating the concept of real-time translation work in a novel empirical context, second by drawing attention to the distinctive characteristics of trade union translation work and third, theoretically by highlighting the importance of proprietorship when subordinate groups take on translator roles. In doing so we argue that translation work in this distinctive socio-political context requires ongoing vigilance and idea propriety by trade union actors, and that when successful, the role of international idea translators may offer some legitimacy and positive identity positioning to unions in an increasingly globalized world.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Translation Work: The evolving interpretation of a trade union idea

Cassell

Lee

2016

Organization Studies

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This paper uses data from a longitudinal, seven-year, cross-national study to explore the translation of a trade union idea. The aim of the paper is to examine and explicate the nature of the translation work undertaken to translate a trade union idea in a multi-organizational setting. In examining how the idea of the learning representative initiative was translated into the New Zealand context we draw upon a narrative analysis to reveal the complexities of the dynamic and ongoing translation of the idea and identify the nature of the translation work required. As such we contribute to the literature on the translation of ideas firstly by explicating the concept of real-time translation work in a novel empirical context, and secondly theoretically, by drawing attention to the distinctive characteristics of trade union translation work. In doing so we argue that translation work in this distinctive socio-political context requires ongoing vigilance and proprietorship of the idea by trade union actors and that such proprietorship is crucial in other cases where translators are coming from subordinate positions.

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Trapped in conformity? Translating reputation management into practice

Cited by 72 publications

References 19 publications

Knowledge Transfer as Translation: Review and Elements of an Instrumental Theory

Knowledge Transfer as Translation: Review and Elements of an Instrumental Theory

Translation Theory ‘Translated’: Three Perspectives on Translation in Organizational Research

Understanding Translation Work: The evolving interpretation of a trade union idea

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