Analysis of Risk Perception Among Quanzhou Private Export Enterprises in Coping with Trade Uncertainty: A Q-Methodology Research Design

Against the backdrop of global economic turbulence and heightened uncertainty risks, the risk perception and coping behaviors of private export enterprises have become a focal point for both academia and policymakers. As the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road, Quanzhou's private enterprises are representative within China's export landscape, yet they commonly face challenges such as small scale, financing difficulties, and weak risk resilience. This study employs Q-methodology to construct a thematic framework and screen 40 Q-samples. We invited representatives from 25 Quanzhou-based private enterprises across footwear/apparel, stone, machinery, and food industries to rank these samples, aiming to find risk perception types under trade uncertainty. Findings indicate Quanzhou's private export enterprises fall into three categories: risk-averse, strategic-shifting, and policy-dependent. This paper proposes a “avoidance-shift-dependence” tripartite framework, offering not only a novel interpretive pathway for corporate risk management theory but also practical insights for local governments to formulate differentiated policies and enhance corporate resilience. As a work-in-progress study, this paper focuses on presenting the research design, methodology, and preliminary findings, with future plans to refine conclusions through empirical validation.