Firm survival strategies for entrepreneurs and freelancers in the translator and interpreter sector

Abstract

[EN] This study examines a set of factors that contribute to firm and self-employed survival in the Spanish translation and interpreting sector (henceforth, T&I). In the midst of a global downturn firm and self-employed survival is key for the progress of economies and for a better and more stable future. The empirical analysis explores different patterns that lead to firm survival. Using comparative qualitative analysis,we identify seven combinations of causal conditions that explain the outcome. This study contributes towards a better understanding of entrepreneurial translators and interpreters’ lifespan. The results indicate that entrepreneurs and freelancers can follow different pathways, all of them, conducing to firm survival. With little literature on the topic of firm survival in the T&I sector, thisstudy aims to fill this gap and make a valuable contribution to the current literature on T&I firms andself-employed survival.