Foreign trade in the convergence process – research methodology of trading companies in the Podlaskie region

The main aim of this paper is to present the methodology of research, carried out in the framework of the project The role of foreign trade in the convergence process. Trading companies - opportunities and risks in the euro zone. The research was conducted in 2013 by a group of researchers representing Bialystok University of Technology, Faculty of Management. The article focuses on the description of the quantitative on-line survey, conducted using CAWI technique on a sample companies from Podlaskie region. In addition, the synthetic characteristics of socio-economic specificity of Podlaskie region was presented, which provides a background for the research. The quantitative research methodology presented in this paper was based on a standardized research tool (on-line questionnaire). It enabled authors to make a thorough analysis of the surveyed companies in three key areas of research: the euro zone and entrepreneurship; convergence – the adjustment process, and the regulation of international trade. Such approach, in which the knowledge and experience of different groups of researchers was successfully combined, gave an immeasurable added value to the project.