Abstract
Institutional translation is intended to produce organizational and societal improvements, yet how it can extend beyond its original aims remains understudied. Addressing this gap, we examine how organizations strategically leverage translation to drive large-scale transformation. In this paper, we report the findings of an ethnographic study of a Central Asian university that used a double degree program to reshape its activities and culture. Through inductive theorization based on a process study, we offer situated transcending as a way of linking translation with organizational transformation. Our research makes three key contributions. We demonstrate how translation can be leveraged beyond its original goals to support holistic organizational development and change. Second, we highlight the role of situatedness in enabling actors to link translation with transformation. Third, we show how experimentation helps organizations identify, influence, and enact structures and functions that support this process. Our study offers practical implications for policymakers and organizational leaders, particularly in transition economies, by illustrating how translation models such as global collaborations can drive strategic change.