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Abstract

Agency theory is a socio-economic theory which has been applied in a large number of different disciplines. Its basic concepts include agent and principal, contract, adverse selection, moral hazard, goal conflict, information asymmetry, risk sharing, outcome uncertainty, hidden action, hidden information, agency cost, and agency variables. Translation and Translation Studies are the fields in which it is utilized to examine their numerous aspects and dimensions.

This paper has examined the Iranian industry of publishing translated works on the basis of agency theory. The research methodology selected by the researcher has been the qualitative research where a structured interview with an Iranian publisher distributing translated works has been conducted. The participant’s answers have been analyzed one by one on the basis of agency theory. Afterwards, the analyses have been examined altogether and compared against each other to make concluding points.

The theory’s concepts have been classified according to the participant’s answers and in a descending order as follows: agent-principal relationship and hidden action (9 cases); information asymmetry, risk sharing, and outcome uncertainty (8 cases); goal conflict (5 cases); contract and agency variables (4 cases); moral hazard and hidden information (3 cases); agency cost (2 cases); and adverse selection (no case).

Keywords: Agency, Publishing, Publisher, Translation, Translator