Organizational ergonomics of translation as a powerful predictor of translators’ happiness at work?

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Abstract
Following the sociological turn in translation studies, researchers’ attention has shifted from studying a translatum to the translator. In connection with unexplored socio-psychological aspects of translator-oriented research, their happiness at work has been paid scant attention. More recently, interest in the translation process as a ‘situated activity’, i.e. the translator’s workplace, has come to the fore. Intermingling these new research avenues, the overarching aim of the paper is to find out to what extent ergonomics of translation has an influence on translators’ happiness at work. More specifically, components of organizational ergonomics of translation will be explored, along with their impact on agency translators’ happiness at work. The paper is built upon a quantitative analysis of 98 questionnaires completed by agency translators in Slovakia. The paper explores correlations between the agency translators’ support for workflow, opportunity to discuss translation problems, autonomy at work, time pressure, clarity of deadlines, feedback, variety in deskbound routines on the one hand and happiness at work (HAW) on the other hand. The research has revealed significant relationships between the translators’ HAW and their working environment, text type, time pressure and ability to maintain concentration.

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