*Impression Management

Traditionally, e-mail (electronic mail) has been seen as an efficient communications medium for the transmission of simple, routine, unambiguous messages. More recent research has argued that the simple, efficient view of e-mail is incomplete. Future research should be extended into the strategic and symbolic functions of email, such as the use of email for impression management. Impression management has a lengthy and interesting development in the fields of sociology and social psychology, but has remained largely ignored by those in the field of communications. Communications scholars should focus on the potential use of email for impression management for three reasons: (1) the use of email influences the development, maintenance and distribution of power in organizations; (2) email has a potential impact on a worker's job satisfaction; and (3) as computer technology becomes more common, researchers shoul