Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 1
CHAPTER 5 LECTURE NOTES
Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media
CHAPTER SYNOPSIS
Today’s workplace is changing as new technologies transform the way we exchange
information and conduct business. Although your students may already be connected digitally
with friends and family, they will need to understand how to use communication technologies
professionally in the workplace.
This chapter explores short forms of workplace communication, beginning with e-mail. E-mail
continues to be the lifeblood of businesses today, and this chapter teaches students how to use
e-mail efficiently and expertly. Because instant messaging and texting are gaining popularity,
this chapter also explores their best practices and liabilities.
Social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, allow firms to share company news;
exchange ideas; and connect with customers, employees, other stakeholders, and the public at
large. Companies may boost their brand recognition and provide a forum for collaboration by
participating in established social networks or by creating their own in-house communities.
The downsides of social media participation are productivity losses, fallout from inappropriate
employee posts, security breaches, and leaking of trade secrets.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1. Understand the professional standards for the usage, structure, and format of e-mails and
interoffice memos in the digital-era workplace.
2. Explain workplace instant messaging and texting as well as their liabilities and best
practices.
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 2
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS CHAPTER
The authors made the following changes and improvements:
• Reorganized discussion of e-mail to streamline coverage but also to reflect current
workplace use with updated techniques and guidelines.
• Encouraged students to recognize the difference between e-mails to friends and the
professional standards and procedures required in the workplace.
• Strengthened e-mail coverage by organizing best practices into chunks with topic headings
to improve readability, comprehension, and retention.
• Provided appropriate coverage of memos to remind students that memos are still important
for internal messages that are longer, more complex, or more formal than e-mail.
LECTURE OUTLINE
I. Preparing Digital-Age E-Mail Messages and Memos (p. 120 )
• The storing and accessing of data along with software applications in remote
network clusters, or “clouds,” is called cloud computing.
• The two prevailing technological trends today are mobile communication and
cloud computing.
A. E-Mail: Love It or Hate It – But It’s Not Going Away
• Most business messages are sent by e-mail.
B. Why People Complain About E-Mail
• E-mail messages are frequently poorly written.
• E-mail users are overwhelmed with too many messages.
C. Knowing When E-Mail Is Appropriate
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D. Drafting Professional E-Mails
• Subject line – summarizes the main idea in the subject line
• Opening – reveals the main idea in an expanded form
• Body – explains and justifies the main idea using headings, bulleted lists, and
other high-skim techniques when appropriate
• Closing – includes (a) action information, dates, or deadlines; (b) a summary of
the message; or (c) a closing thought
Figure 5.1 Formatting an E-Mail Message That Makes a Request
E. Controlling Your Inbox
• Check your e-mail at set times.
F. Replying Efficiently With Down-Editing
• An efficient trick to managing e-mail is down-editing, which involves inserting
your responses to parts of the incoming message in a different color or
preceded by your initials.
G. Writing Interoffice Memos
Figure 5.2 Best Practices for Better E-Mail
Figure 5.3 Formatting a Memo That Responds to a Request
II. Workplace Messaging and Texting (p. 127)
• IM enables two or more individuals to use the Internet or an intranet (an internal
corporate communication platform) to “chat” in real time by exchanging brief text–
based messages.
• Text messaging, or texting, is another popular means for exchanging brief messages in
Figure 5.4 Instant Messaging for Brief, Fast Communication
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A. Impact of Instant Messaging and Texting
Benefits of IM and Texting:
• Offers a low-cost substitute for voice calls
Risks of IM and Texting:
• Reduces worker productivity
Figure 5.5 Centers for Disease Control Text Alerts
B. How to Use Instant Messaging and Texting on the Job
• Follow company policies at all times.
• Don’t use IM or text messages to disclose sensitive information.
• Don’t forward or link to inappropriate photos, videos, and art.
C. Text Messaging and Business Etiquette
• Texting is quick and unobtrusive. Figure 5.6 offers tips on the professional use
of texting.
Figure 5.6 Texting Etiquette
III. Making Podcasts and Wikis Work for Business (p. 130)
A. Business Podcasts or Webcasts
• The words broadcasting and iPod combined to create the word podcast.
• Podcasts can extend from short clips of a few minutes to 30-minutes or longer
digital files.
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 5
B. Collaborating With Wikis
• A wiki is a Web-based tool that employs easy-to-use collaborative software to
allow multiple users collectively to create, access, and modify documents.
• Wikis capitalize on crowdsourcing, which can be defined as the practice of
Businesses use wikis for the following purposes:
• Share information between headquarters and satellite offices
Figure 5.8 Four Main Uses for Business Wikis
Figure 5.9 Creating a Wiki With Google Sites and Google Docs
IV. Blogging for Business (p. 132)
A. How and Why Companies Blog
• To provide up-to-date company information to the press and the public
• For crowdsourcing promotions to connect with customers and generate buzz
Figure 5.10 Starbucks Blog Specializes in Crowdsourcing
B. Blog Best Practices: Seven Tips for Master Bloggers
• Craft a catchy but concise title.
• Ace the opening paragraph.
• Provide details in the body.
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V. Web 2.0: Social Networking Sites (p. 136)
• Social networking sites enable businesses to connect with customers and employees,
share company news, and exchange ideas.
• Social online communities for professional audiences (e.g., LinkedIn) help recruiters
find talent and encounter potential employees before hiring them.
A. How and Why Businesses Use Social Networks
• To improve internal communication (Facebook model)
Figure 5.11 Big Companies Rule on Facebook
B. Potential Risks of Social Networks for Businesses
• Productivity losses
• Loss of trade secrets
• Risk of attracting the wrath of huge Internet audiences
• Embarrassment over inappropriate and damaging employee posts
Figure 5.12 Using Media Professionally: Dos and Don’ts
C. Using Social Networking Sites and Keeping Your Job
• Use caution in sharing sensitive information, especially risqué photographs.
Critical Thinking Discussion Guide
11. Many people are concerned that privacy is increasingly rare in our hyperconnected
world as our online presence leaves a lasting footprint. Do you fear that disclosing
personal matters online will hamper your job search? (Objs. 1–5)
Many contemporaries seem ambivalent about social media and concerned about waning
privacy. Users don’t always have control over negative content posted about them online;
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 7
12. Experts have argued that social media fool us into thinking that we are connected
when in reality they do not help us develop true friendships. Do you agree that
technology diminishes personal relationships rather than bringing us closer together?
(Objs. 1–5)
Sherry Turkle, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology [Turkle, S. 2011.
Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each other. New
York: Basic Books, p. 1], seems to argue that technology estranges us from each other
13. Are common abbreviations such as lol and imho and all-lowercase writing acceptable
in texting or instant messaging for business? (Obj. 2)
Like other electronic messages, IM and texts may be shared with others. Don’t include
14. Traditional mainstream media act as so-called gatekeepers who decide what kind of
content gets published. However, social media networks have changed the game. Now
anyone with an Internet connection can potentially publish anything and reach vast
audiences. What are the benefits and dangers of this unprecedented access?
Among the benefits are the following: Social media have democratized access to media.
Artists can turn to their audiences directly and try to sell music to them on the Web, as
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 8
.
15. Some marketers employ machines to inflate the number of likes and fans online. So-
called Facebook bot networks (botnets) operate large numbers of fake accounts
around the world. A rental agency based in Washington, D.C., went from two fans to
almost 15,000 within a few days. How do you feel about companies and their brands
pretending they have actual traffic on their sites and buying likes?
Answers from students indicating their attitudes toward such practices may vary.
However, social networking from a marketing standpoint is about establishing
relationships between brands and customers. Relationships are based on trust. Fans of a
Activities
Note: The solutions to the activities and cases for this chapter are located in the Solutions to
Activities section of the Instructor’s Manual.
Communication Workshop: Technology (p. 153)
Should Employers Curb Social Media, E-Mail, and Other Internet Use?
• One fourth of employers have fired workers for misusing e-mail.
• Nearly one third have fired employees for misusing the Internet.
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 9
Career Application: Students are asked to discuss a number of questions before forming an
opinion and writing a memo or an e-mail message. The value of this workshop is the
discussion it will stimulate. Many companies are now in a quandary about how to handle
workplace computer use. Here are some points your students might make:
• In teams or as a class, discuss the problem of workplace abuse of social media, e-mail,
instant messaging, online shopping, and other Internet browsing. Should full
personal use be allowed?
Some students may insist that employees should have full access to and use of all
equipment. Their opinion is that the equipment belongs to the worker who uses it, and they
champion “employee rights.” Nothing could be farther from the truth, of course.
• Are computers and their links to the Internet similar to telephones?
Help students understand that computers are not like telephones. Computers make
permanent records that are stored for years; and even if later deleted, message files can
often be read. With today’s sophisticated software, visits to Internet sites can also be
• Should employees be allowed to access the Internet for personal business if they use
their own smart electronic devices?
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Even if employees use private e-mail accounts, they are still tying up their company’s
• Should management be allowed to monitor all Internet use?
Although privacy advocates oppose this policy, employers already have the right to
monitor all workplace Internet use. But should they have such a right? That’s a question
• Should employees be warned if e-mail is to be monitored?
Most students will support this very reasonable position. In fact, it makes sense for
• What reasons can you give to support an Internet crackdown by management?
Companies can argue that they monitor e-mail and Internet use for these reasons:
1. Increase employee productivity. Workers are being paid to work, not fritter their time
• What specific reasons can you give to oppose a crackdown?
Companies may oppose a crackdown for these reasons:
• Decide whether you support or oppose the crackdown. Explain your views in an e-
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 11
Most students will probably suggest that employees should be allowed reasonable use of e-
Workplace in Focus
Page 123
For professionals, safe use of digital media begins with consulting company policy on
electronic communication. To avoid being fired over inappropriate or controversial posts,
users of digital media must exercise caution. Employees must consider electronic
communication to be public and never post anything that might upset a boss, a family
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 12
Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Message Openers and Subject Lines
Message Openers
Compare the following sets of message openers. Circle the opener that illustrates a direct opening. Be
prepared to discuss the weaknesses and strengths of each.
1. An e-mail message inquiring about software:
a. We are interested in your voice-recognition software that we understand allows you to dictate
2. An e-mail message announcing a training program:
a. If you would like to join our in-house leadership training program, please attend an orientation
meeting March 15.
3. An e-mail message introducing a new manager:
a. This is a message to bring you good news. You will be pleased to learn that our long wait is
4. A memo announcing a new procedure:
a. Some customer representatives in the field have suggested that they would like to submit their
reports in the field from their iPads instead of coming back to the office to enter them in their
5. An e-mail reminding staff members that performance reviews are due:
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a. All department managers must submit Employee Performance Review Forms for all non-union
employees by February 1.
Opening Paragraphs
The following opening paragraphs are wordy and indirect. After reading each paragraph, identify the
main idea. Then, write an opening sentence that illustrates a more direct opening.
6. Our management team seeks to find additional ways to improve employee motivation through
recognition and reward programs. The current programs do not seem to generate an appropriate
7. Customer service is an integral part of our business. That’s why I was impressed when three of you
came to me to ask if you might attend a seminar called “Customer Satisfaction Strategies.” I
8. For the last seven years, we have had in place our company E-Mail and Internet Policy.
Because we realize that we can’t prohibit all personal computer use, we allow reasonable
usage. Now, however, employees are using instant messaging, and our policy needs to be
Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Many business messages include bulleted and numbered lists (see Chapter 4) to convey information
clearly and efficiently. Revise the following wordy paragraphs so that each has a brief introductory
statement and a short list with category headings. Decide what information must be deleted and
whether each list should be numbered or bulleted.
9. Job candidates receive much advice on what to do during an interview. Dozens of articles have
been written about how to succeed in an interview. Equally important, however, is what not to
do. Among the top interview mistakes, blunders, and errors a candidate for employment can
make are the following. A big no-no is failure to answer the following question, What do you
know about this company? Silence might just end a candidate’s quest for a job. Background
10. Last year more than 12 million cases of identity theft were reported. If that’s not enough to worry
you, one resource center calculated that it takes about 600 hours to restore your reputation after
identity theft. While people are getting better at recognizing identity theft and minimizing the
damage, the best solution is to prevent it from happening in the first place. One important
practice is choosing strong passwords and PINs. You should use words and numbers that are
familiar to you, but try to disguise them in some kind of hard-to-guess code. Many identity
Key to Chapter 5 Additional Writing Improvement Exercises
Message Openers
Opening Paragraphs
6. You have been selected to be part of a focus group to study how we can improve employee
motivation through recognition and reward programs.
Bulleted and Numbered Lists
9. Job candidates will be more successful if they avoid three common interviewing blunders:
Chapter 5 Lecture Notes ● 15
but at the same time answer fully and responsively.
10. You can avoid identify theft and the agony of restoring your reputation by following three
guidelines: