ProZ.com global directory of translation services
 The translation workplace
Ideas
KudoZ home » Japanese to English » Accounting

固定費の変動費化

English translation: a variabilisation of [fixed] costs


Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.
GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:固定費の変動費化
English translation:a variabilisation of [fixed] costs
Entered by: sumc
Options:
- Contribute to this entry
- Include in personal glossary

17:47 Feb 3, 2005
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Accounting / profit sharing
Japanese term or phrase: 固定費の変動費化
「固定費の変動費化を目指した賃金業績スライド制を採用しております。」
固定費そのものを、変動費のように扱うという主旨。
「変動費化(する)」の直訳があるのでしょうか。
よろしくお願いします。
sumc
variabilisation of [fixed] costs
Explanation:
変動費 is normally translated as "variable costs" hence variabilis[z]ation of costs.

E.g.
http://www.cpb.nl/nl/cpbreport/2000_4/s3_1.pdf

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 4 mins (2005-02-04 09:52:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

FIXED COSTS are operating expenses that are incurred to provide facilities and organization that are kept in readiness to do business without regard to actual volumes of production and sales. Fixed costs remain relatively constant until changed by managerial decision. Within general limits they do not vary with business volume. Examples of fixed costs consist of rent, property taxes, and interest expense.
VARIABLE COSTS are those costs associated with production that changes directly with the amount of production, e.g.,the direct material or labor required to complete the build or manufacturing of a product.
(http://www.ventureline.com/glossary.asp)

Fixed costs: Costs that remain constant, regardless of sales or manufacturing volume. For example, if the cost of floor space rental, general managers salaries, and janitorial services, do not change with volume, they are fixed costs. Fixed costs contrast with variable costs.
Variable costs: The component of a company¥'s or product¥'s cost that varies in direct proportion to the quantity produced or sold. In general, it is the incremental cost of producing or selling one more unit. Variable costs contrast with fixed costs.
(http://www.solutionmatrix.com/encyclopedia.html)

Another reason mentioned by Consignia is ¥"Cost variabilisation¥" which we take to mean the conversion of ¥"Fixed¥" costs to ¥"Variable¥" costs. Most of Romec¥'s costs relate to paying people and presumably the only reason for making such costs more variable is to reduce them. The basic assumption in that case seems to be that the JV will either employ fewer people or it will pay existing people less money. CWU would be interested in any alternative interpretation.


企業は同時に、多大のコストを占める人件費の変動費化も本格化させた。人員削減に始まり、派遣社員・アルバイトによる代替、成果主義という名の報酬削減、退職金廃止等々すべて経費の固定化を回避する動きである。この結果、終身雇用システムは形骸(けいがい)化し、雇用の流動化が始まった。
(http://www.asahi.com/money/column/TKY200411120222.html)

人件費の削減及び人件費の変動費化による好不況への柔軟な対応(固定費の変動費化)
(http://www.npcsystem.com/logistics/)

As I understand it, the personnel costs had been fixed however the company did according to a scale. What this company is trying to do is to restructure that in order to reflect the business/sales volume so that such can be considered as ¥"variable costs¥" which do reflect the business environment.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 15 mins (2005-02-04 10:02:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The URL for the third item on the list is http://www.manchesterpower.co.uk/r16.htm

lowering the neuter point through a variabilisation of fixed costs and peculiarly the reduction of personnel expenditures
(http://www.gifondal.com/eng/perspectives.html)

The French are using the term too!
Gains sur la modification de la structure des co
Selected response from:

mstkwasa
Local time: 14:51
Grading comment
Your input was extraordinarily helpful!!! Thank you for your time and effort.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3variabilisation of [fixed] costsmstkwasa
3 -1See Webssnowbees


  

Answers


13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): -1
固定費の変動費化
See Webs


Explanation:
Literal (direct) translations might confuse English-speaking natives. Needs reviewing the webs, and rewriting the entire text.


    Reference: http://202.221.217.59/print/business/nb04-2004/nb20040423a3....
    Reference: http://web-japan.org/trends96/honbun/tj960804.html
snowbees
Local time: 22:51
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 1

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  mstkwasa: Er... So how are you going to translate the term? Are the links listed above written by "English-speaking natives"? And, pray, tell me, why would literal translations confuse those poor natives?
2 hrs

disagree  Kurt Hammond: Fixed cost vs. variable costs are corporate finance terms and do not necessarily translate directly into merit or performance based pay.
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

21 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
固定費の変動費化
variabilisation of [fixed] costs


Explanation:
変動費 is normally translated as "variable costs" hence variabilis[z]ation of costs.

E.g.
http://www.cpb.nl/nl/cpbreport/2000_4/s3_1.pdf

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 4 mins (2005-02-04 09:52:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

FIXED COSTS are operating expenses that are incurred to provide facilities and organization that are kept in readiness to do business without regard to actual volumes of production and sales. Fixed costs remain relatively constant until changed by managerial decision. Within general limits they do not vary with business volume. Examples of fixed costs consist of rent, property taxes, and interest expense.
VARIABLE COSTS are those costs associated with production that changes directly with the amount of production, e.g.,the direct material or labor required to complete the build or manufacturing of a product.
(http://www.ventureline.com/glossary.asp)

Fixed costs: Costs that remain constant, regardless of sales or manufacturing volume. For example, if the cost of floor space rental, general managers salaries, and janitorial services, do not change with volume, they are fixed costs. Fixed costs contrast with variable costs.
Variable costs: The component of a company¥'s or product¥'s cost that varies in direct proportion to the quantity produced or sold. In general, it is the incremental cost of producing or selling one more unit. Variable costs contrast with fixed costs.
(http://www.solutionmatrix.com/encyclopedia.html)

Another reason mentioned by Consignia is ¥"Cost variabilisation¥" which we take to mean the conversion of ¥"Fixed¥" costs to ¥"Variable¥" costs. Most of Romec¥'s costs relate to paying people and presumably the only reason for making such costs more variable is to reduce them. The basic assumption in that case seems to be that the JV will either employ fewer people or it will pay existing people less money. CWU would be interested in any alternative interpretation.


企業は同時に、多大のコストを占める人件費の変動費化も本格化させた。人員削減に始まり、派遣社員・アルバイトによる代替、成果主義という名の報酬削減、退職金廃止等々すべて経費の固定化を回避する動きである。この結果、終身雇用システムは形骸(けいがい)化し、雇用の流動化が始まった。
(http://www.asahi.com/money/column/TKY200411120222.html)

人件費の削減及び人件費の変動費化による好不況への柔軟な対応(固定費の変動費化)
(http://www.npcsystem.com/logistics/)

As I understand it, the personnel costs had been fixed however the company did according to a scale. What this company is trying to do is to restructure that in order to reflect the business/sales volume so that such can be considered as ¥"variable costs¥" which do reflect the business environment.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 16 hrs 15 mins (2005-02-04 10:02:32 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

The URL for the third item on the list is http://www.manchesterpower.co.uk/r16.htm

lowering the neuter point through a variabilisation of fixed costs and peculiarly the reduction of personnel expenditures
(http://www.gifondal.com/eng/perspectives.html)

The French are using the term too!
Gains sur la modification de la structure des co

mstkwasa
Local time: 14:51
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Your input was extraordinarily helpful!!! Thank you for your time and effort.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
disagree  snowbees: Direct translations might mislead the audience,
13 hrs
  -> And might not.

agree  Kurt Hammond: There is nothing wrong with this translation. It sounds entirely natural to my mini-MBA trained ears and is in no way misleading.
17 hrs
  -> Many thanks and, as always, it is nice to know that someone agrees! I am not the keenest supporter of -isations but it seems to be the rage in business-talk.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Return to KudoZ list


KudoZ™ translation help
The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.



See also: