Downplaying Linguistic Ability Can Sometimes Be to Your Advantage in Business

It is a saying well-known to most Americans — “Nobody likes a show-off.” Resisting the urge to flaunt your language skills can sometimes be a strategic benefit, and a measure of modesty may earn you a better impression.

The benefits of such modesty were exemplified in the aftermath of a disastrous 2009 German-to-English translation error. The German tuning shop AVUS Performance had “souped up” an Audi sports car and released it under the new — and horrendously offensive – name “Audi RS6 White Power...”

Read the rest at "Downplaying linguistic ability can sometimes be to your advantage in business" by Globalization Group vice president Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com

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Can Companies Obtain Free Professional Services through Crowdsourcing?

Twitter launched a Twitter Translation Center Monday in an effort to obtain volunteer translation services from users and localize its user interface into other languages. For years, Facebook and other companies have also been turning to users for volunteer translation in what is often called “crowdsourcing.” These high-profile examples have many companies wondering if they could get volunteers to work for them, too.

Crowdsourcing is not unique to translation. The wisdom and energy of global crowds has been harnessed to create many great resources that you may currently use. Volunteers, both skilled and unskilled, have donated thousands of hours in professional services to create very popular products. Volunteer authors have written more than 17 million articles in dozens of languages to create the popular online encyclopedia known as Wikipedia. More than 100,000 volunteers have indexed more than 500 million genealogical records in 11 languages at FamilySearch.org. Software developers worldwide have likewise put incredible amounts of energy into building the OpenOffice.org desktop software suite and the Linux operating system.

However, crowdsourcing is not all roses and daisies. Various inaccuracies on Wikipedia have made news, and translation crowdsourcing faces similar challenges that must be overcome to create a reliable product. For example, professionals have been quick to point out when volunteers have unintentionally or maliciously blundered translations on Facebook. In one case in 2010, a group of Turkish “translators” banded together to game the system and play an obscene prank. The result was a Turkish user interface on Facebook filled with expletives and insults. Similarly profane “mistranslations” have sneaked through in other languages, too...

Read the rest at "Can companies obtain free professional services through crowdsourcing?" by Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com

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Don't Touch Me: Personal Space Lost in Translation

Indonesian Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring experienced an awkward moment when shaking the hand of visiting U.S. first lady Michelle Obama in November 2010. What was so embarrassing about the handshake to inspire one U.S. journalist to jokingly label it “the cutest political sex scandal ever?”

Sembiring is a proud conservative Muslim who attempts to emulate the Prophet Muhammad by avoiding physical contact with women who are not family members, even when it has previously meant risking offense by refusing to shake the hand of a female journalist.

Unfortunately, the Internet erupted with negative chatter after video of the encounter showed the minister smiley graciously during the encounter. He defended himself on Twitter by tweeting, "I tried to prevent (being touched) with my hands but Mrs. Michelle held her hands too far toward me (so) we touched."

In the United States, we have a concept of what we consider to be appropriate contact and the proper distance to maintain from others in a professional setting. Personal space may vary slightly depending on familiarity and gender, but we generally subscribe to a certain set of norms that are considered acceptable to most. However, in other cultures, personal-space thresholds may be completely different, and awareness of those differences can help international businesspeople and politicians avoid making their clients or associates feel uncomfortable...

Read the rest at "Don't touch me: Personal space lost in translation" by Globalization Group vice president Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com

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Wrong Flowers Can Mean Death for Global Business

A leading U.S. cosmetics and fragrance brand once tried to market flower-scented perfumes in Latin America. Unfortunately, one of these fragrances reportedly failed in Brazil because the flower was reportedly used for funerals in the region. What woman would want a scent reminiscent of a funeral parlor?

As consumers consider flower purchases for Valentine’s Day in the United States, this holiday is an appropriate time to remember that flowers have different meanings in other countries and cultures. Flowers have a wide range of meanings from love to professional courtesy, congratulations and sympathy. Confusing these messages could be disastrous, not only for a cross-border romance, but also for global business. Before sending flowers internationally, research the various cultural connotations those flowers may carry and be sure the message you send is intentional...

Read the rest at "Wrong flowers can mean death for global business" by Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com



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