Ethics Scenarios for Case Study Analysis
Overview
These hypothetical situations reflect current ethical challenges in the translation and localization industry. For your case study assignment (on the next page), you’ll select one scenario to analyze in depth, considering stakeholders, power relationships, consequences, and potential solutions.
Selection deadline: Tuesday, Week 3
Analysis approach: Use situational analysis considering:
- Who are the stakeholders?
- What power relationships are at play?
- What are the consequences of addressing vs. not addressing the situation?
- What are your professional objectives?
- How would you advocate for your position?
Current Industry Scenarios
Scenario 1: AI Displacement Dilemma
Your translation agency announces plans to replace 60% of junior translators with AI post-editing workflows within six months. You’re asked to train the AI system using translations from colleagues who will be laid off. The management asks you not to discuss the transition timeline with affected colleagues to “avoid workplace disruption.”
Key considerations: Professional loyalty, transparency, job security, technological advancement
Scenario 2: Cultural Content Conflict
You’re assigned to localize marketing content for a global brand entering a conservative market. The source content promotes values that conflict significantly with local cultural norms around gender roles and family structures. The client insists on maintaining the original messaging “for brand consistency,” despite your concerns about local reception.
Key considerations: Cultural sensitivity, professional expertise, client relationships, social impact
Scenario 3: Confidential Information Leak
While working on a large localization project, you discover that confidential product launch information has been accidentally included in files sent to freelance translators who haven’t signed specific NDAs for this level of sensitive content. The project manager is unavailable, and the client deadline is in 48 hours.
Key considerations: Confidentiality obligations, legal liability, project timelines, stakeholder communication
Scenario 4: Quality vs. Budget Pressure
Your project manager asks you to use the cheapest available translators for a medical device localization, despite knowing their qualifications don’t meet industry standards for medical translation. When you express concerns, you’re told that “the client wants the lowest bid” and that “perfect translation isn’t necessary.”
Key considerations: Professional standards, public safety, competitive pressure, client expectations
Scenario 5: Freelancer Exploitation
You discover that your agency charges clients premium rates for “native speaker expertise” but consistently pays freelance translators significantly below market rates by claiming they’re “entry-level” regardless of their actual experience. Translators from certain countries are systematically paid less for identical work.
Key considerations: Fair compensation, discrimination, transparency, professional relationships
Scenario 6: Machine Translation Deception
A client specifically requests “human translation only” and pays premium rates accordingly. Your manager instructs you to use machine translation with light post-editing but deliver it as fully human-translated work. The client explicitly said they need human translation for regulatory compliance reasons.
Key considerations: Truth in advertising, regulatory compliance, competitive advantage, professional integrity
Scenario 7: Burnout and Deadline Pressure
Your team is severely understaffed, and translators are working excessive hours to meet unrealistic deadlines. You notice declining quality in deliveries and several colleagues showing signs of burnout. Management dismisses concerns, stating that “this is temporary” and “everyone needs to be flexible” while continuing to accept projects with impossible timelines.
Key considerations: Worker welfare, quality standards, sustainable business practices, professional responsibility
Scenario 8: Data Privacy Breach
You realize that sensitive personal data from a healthcare localization project has been stored on unsecured servers accessible to all team members, including contractors. The data includes patient information that should be protected under both local and international privacy laws. Addressing this might delay multiple projects and require notifying clients of the security lapse.
Key considerations: Privacy protection, legal compliance, business reputation, professional accountability
Scenario 9: Competency Misrepresentation
A new client requests specialized legal translation in a language pair you’re not fully qualified for, but desperately need the work for financial reasons. Your manager encourages you to accept, saying “you can learn as you go” and “we can’t afford to turn down work right now.” The legal documents involve immigration cases where accuracy is crucial.
Key considerations: Professional competence, financial pressure, client service, potential harm to end users
Scenario 10: Cultural Appropriation in Localization
You’re asked to adapt content that appropriates cultural elements from your own heritage in ways that you find offensive or inaccurate. The global brand insists these elements are “trending” and refuses to modify the content. Your manager pressures you to complete the work, saying concerns about cultural sensitivity are “personal opinions” that shouldn’t interfere with business.
Key considerations: Cultural respect, personal values, professional obligations, representation issues
Scenario 11: Whistleblowing Dilemma
You have evidence that your agency is consistently overbilling government clients for translation services by claiming higher word counts and complexity levels than actual work performed. The practice appears systematic and involves significant public funds. Speaking up could end your career in the company and affect your professional reputation industry-wide.
Key considerations: Public accountability, personal risk, professional integrity, systemic corruption
Scenario 12: Technology Bias
You notice that the CAT tool your team uses consistently provides lower quality suggestions for content from certain cultural backgrounds, and the AI training data appears to contain cultural biases that affect translation quality. When raised with management, you’re told this is “just how the technology works” and that addressing it isn’t cost-effective.
Key considerations: Technological equity, professional quality, cultural representation, systematic bias
Selection Process
Tuesday, Week 3:
- Review all scenarios carefully
- Select one scenario that interests you most or relates to situations you might realistically encounter
- Note: Multiple students may choose the same scenario—diverse perspectives on the same dilemma can be valuable
Communicate with the class about the scenario you choose, addressing these points:
- Scenario number and brief title
- Why this scenario resonates with you or seems professionally relevant
- One initial question or concern the scenario raises for you
📥 Download This Activity
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🤖 AI Study Prompts
After reviewing these scenarios, develop your analytical thinking with these prompts:
- “What additional ethical scenarios might emerge in the language industry as AI technology continues to develop?”
- “How do power imbalances in the translation industry create or complicate these ethical dilemmas?”
- “What professional frameworks or industry guidelines help address these types of ethical challenges?”
Next Step: Complete your Ethics Case Study Assignment