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лигатурная масса

Glossary entry

Russian term or phrase:

поощрение (здесь)

English translation:

(employee) merit award

Added to glossary by Susan Welsh
Oct 1, 2009 01:36
14 yrs ago
5 viewers *
Russian term

поощрение (здесь)

Russian to English Bus/Financial Human Resources
From a list of paperwork required by a company to do business with another company:

Документация по оформлению поощрений
Представление о поощрении
Приказ о поощрении

The dictionaries render this word variously as "incentive" and "promotion"--which are very different things, leaving me quite puzzled.
Proposed translations (English)
4 +3 (employee) merit award
4 +1 Incentive
3 Perks?
3 special programs
3 bonus
3 encouragement

Discussion

Susan Welsh (asker) Oct 7, 2009:
proposed clarification of Multitran on поощрение The English word "promotion," given as one definition for поощрение by Multitran, has two meanings: 1) the act of promoting an advancement in rank, grade or position, and 2) furtherance of an enterprise, cause, etc. I made the mistake of thinking the usage in my sentence referred to #1, whereas I believe it should have been #2 (for which incentive, merit award, etc., could function as near-synonyms). I believe that продвижение would be used for promotion according to definition #1.
Am I right correct, with respect to the Russian usage? If so, I would write a short clarification for the Multitran entry.
Susan Welsh (asker) Oct 1, 2009:
not "promotion" It just dawned on me that when the dictionaries give "promotion" as a translation for поощрение, they are referring to ANOTHER MEANING of the English word, along the lines of a store's "promotion of a specific product line." I was thinking only of promotion of a PERSON, to a higher job position. (Okay, so I admit that the English language can also be puzzling.)
gutbuster Oct 1, 2009:
2Susan Welsh Don't let them leave you quite puzzled.
Keep your head when all about you are losing theirs(R.K.).
No dictionary, no matter how up-to-date and comprehensive it might be, could provide with a term you need for your immediate purposes right away, right now.
So, inducement is my choice.
Susan Welsh (asker) Oct 1, 2009:
to Rachel One is outsourcing the other to do its financial management, including some transfer of staff. (So, no help here.) In fact, this is a theoretical (marketing) description of corporate relations with the outsourcer, not pertaining to any particular client company. Really, it could be either promotions or incentives, from the context. I think it's a question of how Russian bureaucratese tends to create such lists of paperwork requirements.
AlisaIWW Oct 1, 2009:
Intuitively it absolutely sounds like 'incentives', but I cannot quite substantiate it...
Rachel Douglas Oct 1, 2009:
Context Do you know anything about the nature of the two companies and what kind of business they are doing? I can envision translating it as "incentives", but if there's absolutely no context - such as info about the relationship between the companies, and what they are engaged in - you might have to fall back on something super-general, like "funding."

Proposed translations

+3
1 hr
Selected

(employee) merit award

That's what I would say in this case.
Here is a California government document on Employee Merit Awards:
i) Merit Award. An award for an adopted suggestion which results in an intangible benefit and/or identifiable tangible benefit shall be a certificate of award and a payment of cash. An award for an approved special act, special service, or superior accomplishment shall be a scroll, ribbon, medal, pin, gift, or other appropriate token of esteem, and may include a payment of cash. http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:N-1nuMSdeOwJ:www.dpa.ca...

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-01 03:06:40 GMT)
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http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:sN0QA6kjjW0J:browardchd...

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Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-01 03:08:56 GMT)
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The GEM (Gold Employee Merit) Award was designed for the first time in 2006 to recognizeindividuals who set a 'gold standard' in customer service. In recognition of this special award,GEM Award winners receive a custom-designed pin with the PremierSpirit logo. The top threeGEM Awardees receive a trip to any Aviation conference or training seminar of choice (2-evening hotel room & coach airfare) reimbursable by ExxonMobil Aviation with the properdocumentation and receipts. In addition, their GEM pin will have a ruby. Should they make it tothe top three again, they will receive a pin with two gems, and are then "retired" to the PremierSpirit Hall of Fame.http://www.avitatboca.com/images/goldaward.pdf

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Note added at 13 hrs (2009-10-01 15:35:34 GMT)
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I generally like "incentive", but to me it means something given in order to induce/motivate desired behavior/attitude in the recipient. Right? While поощрение is given post-factum, and, thought it does have a purpose to prompt the desired behavior in the future, the actual reason is to reward the desired behavior ALREADY demonstrated by the recipient. I hope I am not too confusing in this. :-)

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Note added at 1 day16 hrs (2009-10-02 17:37:09 GMT) Post-grading
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Thank you, Susan!
Note from asker:
Yes, Angela, for sure "incentive" is to encourage future behavior. So it looks like Multitran and Yandex are wrong, since they both give "incentive" (as well as "promotion," which would also be a reward for past activities, more than something intended to encourage good behavior in the future).
Peer comment(s):
agree Ekaterina Perevoznikova
6 hrs
Thank you, Ekaterina.
agree engltrans
7 hrs
Thank you, engltrans.
agree DTSM
11 hrs
Thank you, Dmitry.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks to all. I think "incentive" would work here too, but defer to Angela's understanding of the difference between that and "merit pay" (see her notes. Actually, upon reflection, the difference between "incentive" and "merit award" is slight, because incentives, though aimed at future actions, generally are given if the employee has done something praiseworthy already; and merit pay, while based on past performance, is also intended to ensure that the employee keeps up the good behavior. "
19 mins

Perks?

I know this has to do with company benefits; sometimes they are regarded special bonuses or 'pluses' gotten by an employee.
Peer comment(s):
neutral Rachel Douglas : You can't put the colloquial "perks" in a formal list of required paperwork.
17 mins
neutral gutbuster : Negative: perks - это дополнительные льготы; приплаты; надбавки
4 hrs
neutral Vladimir Alexandrov : To Rachel Douglas- question. Can you put it in the formal form of "perquisites"?
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
28 mins

Incentive

Imho, "incentive" is a perfect word for this. Companies have diferent incentive structores to motivate employees.

"Promotion" has a completely different meaning and does not apply to this context.

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Note added at 29 mins (2009-10-01 02:05:34 GMT)
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*structures*, I mean :)
Peer comment(s):
agree erika rubinstein
6 hrs
Something went wrong...
59 mins

special programs

After Susan's explanation of the context. I don't see any way of determining exactly what kind of hypothetical program they mean, whether "incentives," or "promotions," so maybe try this vague catch-all.


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Note added at 1 hr (2009-10-01 02:51:48 GMT)
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If you are in a position to ask the customer what they had in mind, of course that would be preferable. But it might not be an optin.
Something went wrong...
4 hrs

bonus

IMHO goes well here
Something went wrong...
8 hrs

encouragement

...
Something went wrong...
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