Glossary entry

Dutch term or phrase:

executiekracht

English translation:

effectiveness

Added to glossary by Michael Beijer
Feb 25, 2016 16:30
8 yrs ago
6 viewers *
Dutch term

executiekracht

Dutch to English Bus/Financial Management
De organisatie wil zijn executiekracht vergroten.

I think I get what they mean, but I'm having a hard time deciding on a term. "Executive ability", sure, but it reeks of translatese to me. It doesn't seem to be used anywhere near as frequently or naturally as the Dutch term. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this.
Change log

Feb 28, 2016 15:05: Michael Beijer Created KOG entry

Votes to reclassify question as PRO/non-PRO:

Non-PRO (2): Michael Beijer, Richard Purdom

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Discussion

Michael Beijer Feb 29, 2016:
sorry It's not really fair of course, as only I have access to my entire source text, but I am 100% certain that, in my text, that just makes no sense. It'd end up sounding like pure translatese, if you will. Even in the small extract I provided above, this wouldn't work.

Notice that they are using it in the heading ("Vergroten executiekracht"), but then in the body of the little section, "executiekracht" is just one of the items in the list of stuff they intend to do. The main objective of this company here is definitely not to "improve their power to act", whatever that means in English. It just doesn't sound right.

(–Michael, met een gedegen achtergrond in Engels ;-)
Kitty Brussaard Feb 29, 2016:
@Michael and Lianne Here's an example which would seem to support the angle taken by Lianne: http://www.platts.com/latest-news/metals/europe, emea/london...

However, other than this, a search for 'increase/increasing/increased (the/our/its/their) power to act' or a similar search for 'improve/improving/improved (...) power to act' doesn't yield many convincing/relevant examples I'm afraid.
Lianne van de Ven Feb 29, 2016:
@Michael Dat zou ik denk ik vertalen met "Increase (the) power to act" en "improvement of our power to act"
Michael Beijer Feb 29, 2016:
you might be right about various things, but ... ...your suggested "power to act" just doesn't work in my context. Nor can I think of a way of using "empowerment".

How would you translate the term "executiekracht" in my context:

"Vergroten executiekracht

NAME OF COMPANY'S GRAND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE’ bestaat uit een bezinning op onze rol en activiteiten, verbetering van prestaties voor de klant, een cultuuromslag om beter te handelen vanuit publieke waarden en de vergroting van onze executiekracht."
Lianne van de Ven Feb 29, 2016:
Verschil tussen effectiviteit en executiekracht Ik betreur het dat executiekracht is vertaald met effectiveness. Met een gedegen achtergrond in organisatiepsychologie en -literatuur, ben ik van mening dat het verschil onderschat wordt. Ik gaf aan dat executiekracht een onderdeel uitmaakt van effectiviteit, het is nodig voor effectiviteit, maar het is niet het enige bestanddeel daarvan. Effectiviteit is veel te algemeen, en met deze vertaling mis je dus de essentie van wat er wordt gezegd, namelijk dat de power to act vergroot moet worden. Dit is een specifiek element in streven naar effectiviteit waaraan gewerkt moet worden, en het verwijst met name naar het vermogen om met complexiteit om te gaan en plannen om te zetten in handelen. http://www.vecim.nl/files/Artikel Mens maakt verschil_.pdf
http://www.call-for-action.com/166-de-converteers
http://www.consultancy.nl/nieuws/5909/house-of-performance-b...

Het begrip "executiekracht" moet gezien worden binnen het kader van "empowerment" als een onderdeel van effectiviteit/effectiveness.
https://goo.gl/SvI8L6
Michael Beijer Feb 28, 2016:
ha! Look what I just ran into, in my own text:

"Vergroten executiekracht

'NAME OF COMPANY'S GRAND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE' bestaat uit een bezinning op onze rol en activiteiten, verbetering van prestaties voor de klant, een cultuuromslag om beter te handelen vanuit publieke waarden en de vergroting van onze executiekracht."

I think i am going to go with "increase the effectiveness of our organisation"
Lianne van de Ven Feb 25, 2016:
execution power Inderdaad, slagvaardigheid. Ik denk dat het Nederlandse 'executiekracht' oorspronkelijk van het Engelse 'execution power' komt: "These measures and techniques certainly do help, but we believe that the real execution power of the teams ultimately comes “from within”, i.e. from the concrete activities and progress that teams realize. And the higher their execution fitness, the higher that intrinsic power will be." http://pactifysoftware.com/want-to-improve-the-fitness-of-yo...
Kitty Brussaard Feb 25, 2016:
@Emma As far as I can see, this is essentially about the organisation's 'slagvaardigheid'. In other words, I read your source sentence as meaning: De organisatie wil zijn slagvaardigheid vergroten.

Or as suggested in one of the links posted by Lianne: executiekracht = daadkracht.
Emma Rault (X) (asker) Feb 25, 2016:
@Richard (and Michael) Where on the Bright & Company website are you seeing this term?

I'm familiar with the term "executive power", but I'm wondering whether it's the right one. Businessdictionary.com defines it as the "authority to enforce orders and to ensure they are carried out as intended". The 'enforcing orders' part isn't relevant here, as the company's authority isn't affected one way or the other. It ultimately comes down to optimising efficiency, ensuring effective decision-making. (Some of the things listed under "executiekracht vergroten") include simplifying the organisational structure and organising regular roundtables to pick the brains of employees.)
Michael Beijer Feb 25, 2016:
Brain saved. Answer posted. :)
Richard Purdom Feb 25, 2016:
you are right MB, executive power, save your brain http://www.brightcompany.nl/nl/
http://www.brightcompany.nl/en/

and can somebody change this to non-pro?
Michael Beijer Feb 25, 2016:
I wonder if "executive power" would work here?

A much better solution is on the tip of my tongue though ... hmm. The organisation wishes to increase its ability to put sth into action ...

executory force? nah.

Proposed translations

+1
7 hrs
Selected

effectiveness

Hebbes (denk ik)!

I think this is much better than my previous attempt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *
"ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Organizational development refers to **the capacity of the organization to increase its effectiveness** and performance. It’s the ability to better achieve the particular goals of the organization. In that regard, indicators of success vary from one organization to another. In some cases, successful organizational development will require system improvement; in others, better distribution of tasks; building conflict resolution capacities; improving accounting mechanisms or evaluation tools; etc."

(https://interculturalinnovation.org/impact-indicators/ )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *
"Organization Development (OD) is a strategic process that takes into consideration the entire culture of the organization **to increase its effectiveness** and efficiency. The primary purpose of OD is to develop the entire organization. OD is about system change and the people involved in the process of change. It is not training, personal development, team development, HRD (human resource development), L&D (learning and development) or a part of HR although it is often mistakenly understood as some or all of these."

(http://www.thestriekergroup.com/organization-development/ )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *

"Solution
The team delivers the final version of the product and documentation **so the organization can increase its effectiveness**."

(http://www.datakind.org/datacorps )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *
"The focus of this paper is WHO’s provision of support to countries, but many of the issues affect WHO itself. The
financial crisis has provoked an examination of **how the Organization can increase its effectiveness**. Work is in hand to seek
efficiencies, to explore new and better ways of working, and to review priorities." (http://goo.gl/bOnbrf )
Example sentence:

Organizational development refers to the <b>capacity of the organization to increase its effectiveness</b> and performance. It’s the ability to better achieve the particular goals of the organization.

Organization Development (OD) is a strategic process that takes into consideration the entire culture of the organization <b>to increase its effectiveness</b> and efficiency.

Peer comment(s):

agree Kitty Brussaard : This could indeed work here too. The organisation wants/aims to increase its effectiveness (in achieving its goals and objectives).
16 hrs
Thanks! I think all the other translations (incl my first attempt, "executive power") are trying too hard to stick to the source, and consequently don't sound very natural. They sound like translatese, as Emma mentioned.
neutral Lianne van de Ven : That's just too simple and actually not specific enough. Power to act would be one way of increasing effectiveness, there are many more.//Michael, we do have a Dutch word for effectiveness.http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cahrswp/142/
16 hrs
I don't think it is a good idea to slavishly stick to the src here. It will only produce an unnatural-sounding and odd phrase. "The organisation wishes to increase its ... execution capacity / power to act / executive power" all sound terrible iyam.
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Yes, this sounds much more natural to me and, given the source text's specification of what falls under "executiekracht vergroten", seems to do the job perfectly. Thanks!"
+3
6 mins

execution capicity

Defintion: The time-bound, measured amount of activity a person or machine or process can do.

I believe this is what you're looking for...
Note from asker:
Oy vey, that's a somewhat embarrassingly simple answer. . . Right on the money, of course. Thank you for cutting straight through my brain fog :-)
Peer comment(s):

agree Lianne van de Ven : This would also be correct.
1 hr
agree writeaway : http://twinklemagazine.nl/achtergronden/2007/12/Ambitie,_lei... (capacity)
8 hrs
agree Kitty Brussaard : Yes, execution capAcity might indeed be the best option here. It is 'in context' and also stays closest to the source term.
23 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
49 mins

executive power

I am absolutely, 100% certain this is 100% correct (because Richard said so).
Peer comment(s):

agree Richard Purdom : your best explanation EVER!
3 mins
Thank you kindly.
disagree Lianne van de Ven : I do not agree, which happens so often to myself when I am absolutely certain. :-)
37 mins
And neither do I, now. I much prefer effectiveness – "The organisation wants/aims to increase its effectiveness (in achieving its goals and objectives)" ... sounds much better.
agree Verginia Ophof
19 hrs
Thanks!
Something went wrong...
+2
1 hr

power to act

Executive power roept een verkeerd beeld op, ik ben het eens met Emma. Executive power staat inderdaad voor "authority to enforce orders and to ensure they are carried out as intended". De juiste (traditionele) vertaling is m.i. "power to act". Executiekracht is ook een raar woord in deze context. Het gaat om het vermogen om te handelen.

It is with becoming-woman in organizations that this sadness might be challenged. ... This empowerment, as an enhancement of the power to act, is 'good'; ...
https://goo.gl/9hK9hX

And in order for an organization to fulfill its obligations, it must act. ... hold such roles), and describing who has the power to act in the name of the organization.
https://goo.gl/4MJGCk

Onder “executiekracht” (ook wel aangeduid met daadkracht) wordt verstaan de capaciteit om ideeën en plannen die aanwezig zijn binnen de organisatie om te zetten in resultaat.
http://smclaren.com/nl/blog/wendbaar_weerbaar_executiekracht...

Daadkracht kan vertaald worden als vigor, decisiveness, of power to act.

Second, prove your organizational power to act. Find one initiative that can demonstrate, even on a small scale, that taking action will not result in catastrophic failure.
https://hbr.org/2012/06/learned-helplessness-in-organi/

The search ["power to act" "executive power" "business" "organization"] has about 200.000 google hits. Add -president and there are 50 ghits left. Executive power is associated with above provided definition.


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 hr (2016-02-25 18:03:25 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

van dale:
the executive power
de uitvoerende macht (als bevoegdheid)
Dit is niet hetzelfde als vermogen.
Peer comment(s):

agree Kitty Brussaard : Your suggestions definitely come closest in my opinion. Executiekracht = daadkracht/slagvaardigheid >> decisiveness, power/capacity to act etc.
3 hrs
Dank je.
neutral Michael Beijer : can't quite put my finger on why, but "power/capacity to act" sounds wrong to me. in my mind, an organisation's capacity to act would relate to their ability to act in a specific situation, which isn't really the case here
5 hrs
Ik zie wat je bedoelt, maar er staat dan ook niet capacity maar power to act, wat wel in meer algemene zin verstaan kan worden.
agree Tina Vonhof (X) : You could make it even stronger: power/ability to take decisive action.
22 hrs
Dank je.
Something went wrong...
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