What happens when grounded theory meets translation? Reflecting upon the complexities of researching in a foreign language

This case study describes the issues encountered during a research project carried out in the Hellenic health sector. The study was qualitative in nature and adopted a grounded theory approach. The main aim of the research was to explore emotional labor within the Greek nursing profession. However, what follows is a case study that outlines how we overcame issues that arose when working in two languages simultaneously. We discovered that translation issues in grounded theory studies can seriously derail research unless they are accounted for and managed. This case study provides insight into the challenges we faced and how we overcame them. It will help students engaged in similar research because what we did well can be replicated, and problematic areas can be prepared for in advance.