A study on the impact of translators' intercultural competence on customer-perceived quality

The objective that culture may be included in the translation process was introduced with the 'cultural turn' in translation studies, highlighting the notion of "translation as intercultural communication". Knowledge of culturally specific textual and discourse conventions and applying this knowledge in the process of translation is the essence of intercultural competence. The identification of translation competence of EMT Competence Framework integrates intercultural competence with the essential skills of a translator by its approach emphasizing that a translator knows how to "translate and mediate in specific intercultural contexts". Researching the concrete results of Intercultural competence with interdisciplinary approaches is significant to highlight the role of the translator in perception of products and services. In this study, it is aimed to investigate the impact and outcomes of the translator's intercultural competence in the means of customer-perceived quality. Among the people living in Turkey who do not speak Turkish, 26 individuals who were determined by convenience sampling method were interviewed. The data collected through the face-to-face interviews revealed that the intercultural competence of a translator significantly affects the customer-perceived quality, and in the lack of intercultural competence, the consumer has negative impressions and avoids purchasing products or services.