Abstract
The aim of this article1 is to analyze work content and its components in translation agencies. In the conceptual part of the article, we refer to concepts taken from the sociology of work and translation studies. In the analytical part, we use data produced by Stelmach in her study carried out in a small translation agency in Poland using the technique of self-observation (Stelmach 2000). The aim of Stelmach’s study was to record and analyze all the activities that formpart of the production process of a translation service. Because the observation was continual in time, it provided a complete list of all the activities carried out by the permanent staff occupying two internal jobs. Stelmach’s approach was quantitative and not focused on specifi c, translation-related work organization. In this article, we reinterpret these activities as the content of the work in translation-related internal positions, and compare it with Gouadec’s model oftranslation service provision process (Gouadec 2002, 2005a, 2005b, 2007). The data analyzed show the importance of outsourcing in the everyday activity of translation agencies and (partly as a consequence of this outsourcing) the magnitude and importance of the management activities carried out by the staff.
Highlights
Work occupies a large part of our lives
We focus on the work content in one of the many agencies in Poland providing translation services
Work content in the organizational context: companies, situations and work processes The analysis presented in this article shows the importance of doing empirical research inside companies
Summary
In the early 21st century, translation is a job performed by many people and mainly provided through translation agencies. We focus on the work content in one of the many agencies in Poland providing translation services. We study the work content in the translation agency by focusing on the activities carried out by the in-house staff and by observing real work situations. Our focus on the translation agency rather than on the translator gives greater visibility to translation as work and employment. Our aim is to identify the components of the work content and the role played by translation activites in translation agencies. We will try to answer the question: What do people in translation agencies do and what place does translation occupy in their activities?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
