Electronic Messages and Digital Media

Which of the following statements about communication in today's workplace is correct?

• Despite the increased use of social media networks, companies are reluctant to use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to conduct business.

• Individuals are using more mobile electronic devices to communicate with others.

• Because individuals are more dispersed, messages are longer and less frequent.

• Because of social media networks, today's communication includes more one-on-one conversations.

Which statement about the use of e-mail in today's workplace is correct?

• Workers report spending about three hours per day on work e-mail.

• Businesses use memos more frequently than e-mail messages to communicate internally with employees.

• Only managers and top-level business executives use e-mail to communicate with others.

• Today's workers spend very little time writing e-mail messages.

Which of the following is an effective strategy for controlling your e-mail inbox?

• Read and respond to each message within 10 minutes.

• Check your e-mail only in the mornings.

• Check your e-mail at set times during the day.

• Ask your co-workers not to e-mail you unless it's urgent.

An e-mail message or memo usually ends with action information, dates, or deadlines; a summary of the message; or a _____.

• witty quotation

• copyright notice or confidentiality statement

• closing thought

• reference line that includes the typist's initials

Which of the following is an effective subject line?

• PARKING PERMITS

• Staff Meeting

• Please Respond to Job Satisfaction Survey

• Important! Please Read Now

What is the current advice on the use of a greeting on business e-mails?

• Omit greetings because they make an e-mail appear too casual.

• Add a greeting only when forwarding an e-mail with a lengthy header.

• Don't waste precious digital space on the nonessential keystrokes of a greeting or salutation.

• Begin with a greeting to provide a visual cue and to show friendliness.

Which of the following will help improve the readability of an e-mail message’s body section?

• Including a friendly salutation

• Using numbered or bulleted lists

• Writing ideas in long, well-developed paragraphs

• Starting the message indirectly

Which of the following should be included in an effective email closing?

• An action statement with due dates and requests

• A promise to follow up later

• A reminder of the sender’s credentials and expertise

• A specific timeframe in which the sender should reply

Which of the following tips can help with e-mail inbox management?

• Reply to all messages immediately so that they don’t get lost in the shuffle.

• For messages that require more than two minutes for a response, add them to your to-do list or schedule them on your calendar to take care of later.

• Send a polite note of receipt for every message you receive.

• Leave your inbox open at all times so you can see the messages as they come in.

Because Maya knows that the most important part of an e-mail message is the subject line, she should _____.

• avoid using verbs

• use all caps to grab the reader's attention

• adjust the subject line if the topic changes after repeated replies

• limit her phrasing to three words for conciseness