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A Discursive Void in a Cross-Language Study on Russia: Strategies forNegotiating Shared Meaning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 July 2019

Virpi Outila ,
Rebecca Piekkari  and
Irina Mihailova
Virpi Outila*
Affiliation:
Aalto University, School of Business, Finland
Rebecca Piekkari
Affiliation:
Aalto University, School of Business, Finland
Irina Mihailova
Affiliation:
Aalto University, School of Business, Finland
*
Corresponding author: Virpi Outila (virpi.outila@aalto.fi)
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Abstract

Discursive voids in emerging markets present opportunities and challenges todebate meanings and taken-for granted assumptions. This article uncovers variousstrategies used by the researcher and the research participants to address thediscursive void and to negotiate shared meaning about employee empowerment inRussia. In the absence of a concept for empowerment in the languages of thestudy, the researcher and the research participants engaged in joint sensemakingto bridge discursive voids. We contribute to the discussion of qualitativecross-language research in emerging markets by identifying the strategies usednot only by the researcher, whose view has dominated previous research, but alsothose of the research participants. The researcher in our study addressed thediscursive void by taking on the dual role of researcher-translator, engaging incontextual approach to translation, consulting external interpreters, and usingiteration and flexibility in the course of the research process. Our researchparticipants resorted to proverbs to address the discursive void, make sense ofempowerment, and render it locally meaningful. Proverbs are a valuablemethodological tool for sensemaking and theorising about context-specificphenomena in IB research.

摘要

存在于新兴市场中的话语空白为词语的含义和想当然的假设之间的讨论提供了机遇和挑战。本文揭示了研究人员和研究参与者在解决话语空白以及协商有关俄罗斯员工授权的共享含义过程中所使用的各种策略。在研究语言中缺少关于授权这一概念的情况下，研究者和研究参与者进行了联合意义构建来弥补话语空白。我们不仅发现了在过去研究中占主导地位的研究者所使用的策略，而且还发现了研究参与者们所使用的策略，从而为新兴市场的定性跨语言研究做出了贡献。本研究中的研究者通过承担研究者-翻译者的双重身份，从语境角度入手从事翻译、咨询外部的翻译人员，并在研究过程中使用重复和灵活的方式来填补话语空白。研究参与者们则依靠谚语来填补话语空白，理解授权的意义并赋予其本土化的含义。谚语作为在国际商务研究中关于特定情境下现象的意义构建及其理论化方面具有价值的方法论工具。

Аннотация

Встранахсразвивающейсяэкономикой,дискурсивныепробелыодновременнооткрываютновыевозможностииставяттрудныезадачидляобсуждениясмысловиобщепринятыхпредположений.В этойстатьерассматриваютсяразличныестратегии,которыеисследователииучастникиисследованийиспользуютдляустранениядискурсивногопробелаиформированияобщегопониманияорасширенииправ ивозможностейсотрудниковвРоссии.Вотсутствиеконцепциирасширенияправ ивозможностейнаязыкахисследования,исследовательиучастникиисследованиязанималисьсовместнымосмыслениемдляпреодолениядискурсивныхпробелов.Мывносимсвойвклад вобластькачественныхмежъязыковыхисследованийвстранахсразвивающейсяэкономикой,определяястратегии,которыеиспользуютнетолькоисследователь,чьемнениедоминироваловпредыдущихработах,но иучастникиисследования.Обратившиськдискурсивномупробелу,исследовательв нашейработебрал насебядвойнуюрольисследователя-переводчикаиприменялконтекстныйподходкпереводу,спомощьюдругихпереводчиков,а такжеитерацииигибкостивпроцессеисследования.Нашиучастникиисследованияприбегаликпословицам,чтобыустранитьдискурсивныйпробел,осмыслитьконцепциюрасширенияправ ивозможностей,а такжепридатьейконтекстуальноезначение.Пословицыявляютсяценнымметодологическиминструментомдляосмысленияитеоретизированияспецифическихконтекстуальныхявленийвисследованияхпомеждународномубизнесу.

Resumen

Los vació discursivos en mercados emergentes presentan oportunidades yretos para de debatir significados y supuestos dados por sentados. Esteartículo deja descubierto varias estrategias usadas por lainvestigadora y los participantes de la investigación para abordar elvacío discursivo y negociación del significado compartidosobre el empoderamiento de los empleados en Rusia. En la ausencia de un conceptopara empoderamiento en los idiomas del estudio, la investigadora y losparticipantes de la investigación participaron conjuntamente en dotarde sentido para superar los vacíos discursivos. Contribuimos a ladiscusión de la investigación cualitativa entre distintosidiomas en mercados emergentes al identificar las estrategias usadas no solo porla investigadora, cuya visión ha dominado la investigaciónanterior, sino también de los participantes de lainvestigación. La investigadora de nuestro estudio aborda elvacío discursivo asumiendo el doble papel de investigador-traductor,participando en un abordaje contextual para la traducción,consultando interpretes externos, y usando iteración y flexibilidaden el curso del proceso de investigación. Nuestros participantes deinvestigación recurrieron a proverbios para abordar losvacíos discursivos, dar sentido de empoderamiento y hacer que sealocalmente relevante. Los proverbios son una herramienta metodológicavaliosa para dar sentido y teorizar sobre los fenómenosespecíficos en la investigación de negociosinternacionales.

Keywords

discursive voidemerging marketsproverbsqualitative cross-language researchtranslation话语空白新兴市场谚语跨语言的定性研究翻译дискурсивныйпробелразвивающиесярынкипословицыкачественныемежъязыковыеисследованияпереводvacío discursivomercados emergentesproverbiosinvestigación cualitativa en diferentes idiomastraducción

Information

Type
Special Issue Articles
Information
Management and Organization Review , Volume 15 , Special Issue 2: Doing Qualitative Research in Emerging Markets , June 2019 , pp. 403 - 427
Copyright
Copyright © The International Association for Chinese Management Research 2019 

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Footnotes

Accepted by: Guest Editor Tian Wei

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