Embedding TQM in UAE translation organizations

Abstract

Although there is a long tradition of active translation work in the Arab world, some see a need to make improvements. The number of translation projects in the region has grown exponentially in recent years, with a notable increase in translations into Arabic from English, as well as from other languages. Achieving high quality translations continues to require high levels of linguistic and cultural competence from translation professionals; however, new forms of management are required in the context of technological change, computerization, increased specialization and complexity in the process of translation. The practice of translating has therefore become a corporate rather than an individual task, and is often performed in the form of projects within specialized translation and publishing organizations. This research addresses a gap in research in this field, relating to the evaluation of quality management of English to Arabic translation projects, and to the relative neglect of Total Quality Management (TQM) and associated tools in the management of translation projects as relevant means to improve processes in this field. This paper explores English to Arabic translation projects in the United Arab Emirates and puts forward a specific framework for implementing TQM in translation project organizations, including suggested key quality indicators and key performance indicators.