Polish exporters' use and perception of various sources of market information

Abstract

The transformation of Poland's economy which took place after 1989 contributed greatly to the growth of internationalization of Polish enterprises. Expansion of enterprises onto foreign markets is impossible without possessing adequate resources of information about those markets. The article presents the results of studies concerning Polish exporters' use of various sources of information and significance ascribed to them. The studies comprised 493 exporters, taking into account not only the size of enterprises but also the number of their modes of entry and market range of export activities. The analysis suggests that different information sources offer different advantages with none emerging as superior in all situations. The results indicate a differentiated significance and use of the sources of information about foreign markets. A general conformity regularity is observed in gathering information through personal contacts and exchange of experiences, as well as through participation in trade events. The Internet is also widely used. Generally it can be stated that in many aspects the results of studies of the Polish exporters are convergent with those of similar studies conducted in other countries.(original abstract)