Translation of equality, diversity, and inclusion ideas in a foreign subsidiary

Abstract

Drawing on a sociological approach, this paper examines how the subsidiaries of multinational companies (MNCs) translate equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) ideas from their headquarters (HQs). International business (IB) studies emphasize the context-sensitive and socially constructed nature of EDI. Through a single case study of an Italian subsidiary translating EDI ideas from its U.S. HQs, we present a power-laden EDI translation process and broaden the extant research by revealing the power relations underlying the EDI translation process. We portray the sociology of MNCs in which different professional categories engage in “translation spaces”, i.e., social spaces where they interact throughout various phases of the translation process. Specifically, we identify two key phases: the signification and negotiation phases. In these phases, intentional and unintentional translators play varying roles in either facilitating or hindering the translation of EDI ideas within the subsidiary. Thus, we first advance the sociology of EDI translation in IB by revealing how EDI understanding is constructed and reconstructed through the interactions of translators. Second, we contribute to translation research in IB by depicting the iterative and recursive nature of the translation process. Finally, we reveal forms of resistance to EDI and the emergence of new power relations shaped by professional diversity within the subsidiary, unearthing the generative nature of the EDI translation process in MNCs.