Abstract
Michigan is the sixth largest exporter among the fifty states, with nearly US$60 billion worth of goods sold to customers in foreign countries each year. Some 15,000 Michigan businesses sell products overseas, affecting over a quarter of a million jobs nationally, and 6% of the Michigan workforce earns a paycheck, thanks to a foreign employer. Michiganders are enmeshed in the global economy, and many are members of global virtual workforces that collaborate across international borders. But how effective are these global virtual workforces? We spoke with associates of several West Michigan companies who do business across borders, and suggest ways to help global virtual workforces be successful.
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