Transforming Business Communication by Building on Forman's Translation Metaphor

Abstract

Forman's translation metaphor provides a powerful lens for examining businesscommunication as a discipline. However, its focus on a uni-directional translation from one language into another by an individual scholar, with too littleconsideration for the influences, expectations, and entanglements of culture,proves problematic. The present essay envisions translation as a bi-directional,dynamically negotiated process that occurs within and between communities ofscholars and that transforms the language, the person of the translator, thecommunities involved, and the cultural expectations. This conception of translation as a dynamic process in which business communication scholars participate predicts a balance of trade between business communication and otherdisciplines, situates language use in place and time, and helps to articulate anddevelop international cultural expectations for transforming business communication and the Association for Business Communication.

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