Most people agree that business e-mail can be more conversational than formal written documents, but even e-mail has its limits. As a manager, what guidance would you give people regarding e-mail style and usage?

What will be an ideal response?

Answers will be influenced by the student’s personal experience with e-mail, especially in business situations. Social e-mail has developed its own usage, abbreviations, and slang, such as “btw” that stands for “by the way” and the use of emoticons and smiley faces. In a business situation, these usages might or might not be appropriate. Just as dress codes vary from company to company, so do e-mail usage norms.
It should be interesting to have students explain and defend what they see as an appropriate set of rules. It is important for students to know that, as employees, they are judged by the written communications they send. For this reason, all communications, including e-mail, should be carefully spell checked and have a professional appearance.