Language Diversity and CSR: Exploring Translation Challenges in Multinational Corporations

This article explores the role of linguistic diversity in multinational corporations (MNCs) and corporate social responsibility (CSR). After an introduction to CSR, students will describe and critique the growing importance of CSR to business while developing their academic writing skills. Next, the article explores language diversity and translation issues in multinational corporations from a corporate social responsibility perspective. This leads to a discussion of the issue of translation of managers’ mother tongue and its impact on cross-cultural communication, particularly between the headquarters of foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations. The article draws on current translation scholarship and the role of translation in the globalization process to argue that translation can play a vital role in the formulation and implementation of corporate social responsibility strategies. While this type of translation typically involves professional or agency translators, it is also integrated into other day-to-day business functions. After establishing the theoretical framework and defining the problem, we present recommendations for further research while highlighting some of the methodological limitations of our study as well as the dynamics of today's business environment.