  Let $\mathbb F_q$ be the finite field with $q$ elements, where $q$ is a prime
power and, for each integer $n\ge 1$, let $\mathbb F_{q^n}$ be the unique
$n$-degree extension of $\mathbb F_q$. The $\mathbb F_q$-orders of an element
in $\mathbb F_{q^n}$ and an additive character over $\mathbb F_{q^n}$ have been
extensively used in the proof of existence results over finite fields (e.g.,
the Primitive Normal Basis Theorem). In this note we provide an interesting
relation between these two objects.
