An exploration of the dimensions of e-mail effectiveness

E-mail use has grown rapidly in recent years, as it enables us to communicate in ways that we have not been able to in the past. Although its ease of use, quickness, and ability to reach many individuals at one time make it an attractive communication medium, these characteristics can lead to negative consequences. E-mailers can hastily send ill-prepared messages too quickly and to too many people, only to obtain results opposite of the users' intention. This exploratory research set out to learn what factors or skills are important to e-mail effectiveness to help individuals increase their awareness of the potential pitfalls of e-mail use and to maximize their effectiveness. Through a two-stage data collection process, five factors emerged as likely predictors of e-mail effectiveness. Two of these factors are consistent with the teachings from the existing communication research, but three factors surfaced as being unique to e-mail effectiveness.