Susan P. Douglas and C. Samuel Craig
Executive Summary
As companies expand their international operations, the volume and significance of multicountry research is growing rapidly. In conducting this research, it is important to establish conceptual, linguistic, and measurement equivalence to ensure that results can be meaningfully compared across countries. In many cases, a questionnaire or instrument is developed in one language and then is translated into another language. Typically, back translation is used to ensure the equivalence of the translated questionnaire or research instrument. Douglas and Craig point out the limitations of using back translation and suggest an alternative procedure—that is, “collaborative and iterative translation”—using a committee or small group to translate and pretest the instrument.
In back translation, a bilingual native speaker of the target country translates a questionnaire into the target language. Then, a bilingual native speaker of the source language translates it back into the source language. The original and back-translated versions are then compared for differences and comparability. The accuracy of the back translation is used as an indicator of the accuracy of the translation. This procedure involves a literal translation, which may not necessarily produce the most accurate translation, especially when colloquial words, phrases, or idioms are used. In addition, professional translators may be able to move from one language to another without capturing the intended meaning of a phrase or word in a given context—for example, when figurative language is used. Bilingual people also do not use language in the same way as monolingual people and may be able to make sense from a poorly translated instrument. Furthermore, after completing this procedure, no further pretesting is usually conducted.
Douglas and Craig suggest a collaborative, iterative procedure, which begins with a committee establishing equivalence of terms and then developing parallel translations. These translations are then pretested and revised, and when satisfactory versions are attained, the questionnaire is administered to the selected population. Although this collaborative, iterative procedure is more time consuming than back translation, it provides a more reliable and satisfactory approach. When appropriate, local managers who are fluent in the relevant language can be involved in the translation, assessment, and revision. This not only reduces costs but also helps ensure that the final product is suited to management needs. Not only does the proposed approach provide a better overall solution, but it can also be tailored to a company’s experience and situation.
Biography
Susan P. Douglas holds a BA (Honors) and an MA (Honors) from the University of Manchester and a CEP from L’Institut des Etudes Politiques, Paris. She obtained her PhD in Applied Economics (University of Pennsylvania). Her primary area of interest is international marketing, particularly international marketing research and global marketing strategy. She has mostly worked and consulted with large multinational consumer goods companies, such as Unilever, L’Oreal, and Cadbury. In addition to Journal of International Marketing, she has recently published in International Marketing Review and International Journal of Research in Marketing.
C. Samuel Craig has a BA from Westminster College, and MS from University of Rhode Island, and a PhD from Ohio State University. His areas of expertise include global marketing strategy, cross-cultural consumer research, and international marketing research methodology. His work/consulting experience is primarily in computers and pharmaceuticals. In addition to Journal of International Marketing, he has recently published in International Marketing Review and International Marketing Research.
Journal of International Marketing, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2007
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