Electrolux Case Essay Example

Electrolux Case Essay Electrolux, page 25-27: 1) Explain why the issues facing Electrolux were strategic? Long-term direction: More domestic and professional appliances Shift production to low-cost countries Close plants that are inefficient Reduce number of supplies, also purchase more from low-cost countries Build a strong global brand Scope: Electrolux focused on its key competences (domestic and professional appliances) Sold its outdoor division (mowers, chain saws, etc. ) Want to invest 2% of sales in product development to intensify product renewal and systematic development of brands Advantages over competitors: Global, recognized brand Business environment: Globalization (production in low-cost countries, production costs of all major producers will be the same, therefore more concentration on product development, brand-building, marketing) Market polarization (demand for basic products and higher-price products increases) Consolidation of retailers (more business with big chains and fewer traditional dealers) 2) Identify the main factors about the strategic situation of Electrolux. Globalization Market polarization Consolidation of retailers Cost reduction in order to compete with other big companies (Whirlpool) 3) Think about strategic choices for the company in relation to the issues that it has. Invest more in research and development Use more economies of scale, reduce number of unique products and increase â€Å"platforms† for easy adjustments/diversification of existing products Find new markets (developing world, BRIC-Countries) Show how the elements of Strategic Management differ in: b) a large multinational business We will write a custom essay sample on Electrolux Case specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Electrolux Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Electrolux Case specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In a large multinational firm, the strategy needs to consider aspects and local circumstances of not only one country, but all countries they are operating in. When defining the long-term direction of an organization, these different situations (i. e. local business environment, political issues, laws, importance of business location) are not evenly important for the overall success of the company. Also, some parts of the organization have other problems than others, which need to be considered. The scope of activities in a multinational business can be very wide, with production in one country and demand for it in many others. Additionally, there can be a very diverse product mix, so that the organization needs to focus on keeping it adjusted with their overall long-term direction and if all business units are equally important to achieve this goal. Facing many different fields of competition in many incoherent surroundings is a difficult task. However, as a large multinational company, it can use its bargaining power, market share and economies of scale to improve its advantage in front of competitors. Having a unique product brings special know-how, skills and competences into the business. Therefore, these resources can be used to improve and develop products, services or whatever the company sells. Considering that an organization like this is part of what makes this world so globalized, it also needs to adapt to changes in its environment, which can be technological, political or influence the business in other ways. In order to stay successful, the company needs to act quickly, but with careful consideration, before the competition has used good opportunities. Since most multinational firms are listed at least on one stock exchange in order to finance their business, the strategy has to include the interests of shareholders. However, the strategy should not focus on improving share prices on a short term basis, while forgetting about the long-term direction and the possible harm that can be caused by a wrongly focused strategy. Other stakeholders like employees, local communities, etc. also have to be considered, since especially employees are the main factor in generating products and therefore, profits. Deciding on a global strategy for a multinational company is very difficult, complex and need to integrate many different situations and focus areas.

West Side Story Anaylsis essays

West Side Story Anaylsis essays As a contemporary musical, West Side Story differs from Romeo and Juliet in form and detail, but stays true to the tragedy of innocent love caught in a complex social web that predestines its demise. In West Side Story, love at first sight between Tony and Maria set off a tragic chain of events which bring the story to its heartbreaking conclusion. Maria is Puerto Rican, Tony, Polish-American; they are young, innocent, rebellious-indifferent to the societal boundaries which they are trespassing. Like Romeo and Juliet, love is all that matters to. Inevitably, social reality intrudes upon the inter-racial lovers idealized world. Instead of the warring Montagues and Capulets, West Side Story revolves around two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets. At this point in time, the impoverished white immigrant culture, which Tony represents, is being hreatened by the influx of new immigrant populations, especially the Puerto Ricans, who are beginning new lives in America. The young street gangs that arise from these ghettos demonstrate their frustrations and tensions through turf wars and street fights. Tony is a member of the Jets, the American gang. Maria's brother, Bernardo, and her Puerto Rican suitor, Chino, are members of the Sharks. Gangs are one of the results of poverty, discrimination and urban deterioration. Some experts believe that young people, undereducated and without access to good jobs, become frustrated with their lives and join gangs as an alternative to boredom, hopelessness and devastating poverty. Studies have attempted to determine why gangs plague some communities but there has been no definitive answer. As a result, people working to solve gang problems have great difficulty. They find the situation overwhelming, and the violence continues. The reason for some of this vilolence has to deal with the differences in culture between the two gangs and there ethinicity. As we have learned in socilogy cultur...

Violence on Television Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Violence on Television - Essay Example There is no doubt that television has its good side. It can be both entertaining as well as educational. It gives good opportunity for children to learn more about different cultures, and gain exposure to ideas they may never encounter in their own community.Besides, it also gives them a chance to see different places and learn about various aspects on life in different parts of the world. In addition, there are also several motivational programs with positive role models and good moral stories that can influence kids to change their behavior for the better (UMHS n. pag, 2007). However, the concern today is the impact of violence that is projected in the television. Ever since the beginning of television, the effect of TV violence on society has been commonly studied and strongly debated. There are several studies that provide evidence that violence in television can be linked to the real life violence. For instance, a study conducted by four universities and financed by the cable industry found that of nearly 2,700 shows analyzed in a 20 week survey of 23 channels, 57% were said to contain at least some violence (Zoglin 58-61). [1] One of the biggest concerns is the negative effect of television on children. Researchers hypothesize that viewing TV violence can lead to three potentially harmful effects: increased antisocial or aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence (becoming more accepting of violence in real life and less caring about other people's feelings), or increased fear of becoming a victim of violence (Smith and Donnerstein 167-202).12 [2] Television can be a powerful influence in developing value systems and shaping behavior. Unfortunately, much of today's television programming is violent. Children and adolescent concur some of the negative moral influences through TV such as media violence, portrayals of sexual exploitation and attitudes, vulgarity and rudeness, intense and disturbing imagery, passive watching - the "couch potato" syndrome, alcoholism, drug abuse, and other kinds of disturbing activities. For example, the average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18 (Dowshen and Gavin n. pag 2005). These may lead to serious psychological problems. Too much of TV means that children not exercising, reading, socializing, or spending time outside. Children, who view violent events, are also more likely to believe that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them. These could have serious negative influence on the growth and development of the child. A review of scientific literature on media violence provides ample evidences that the connection of media violence to real-life aggressive behavior and violence has been largely exposed (Donnerstein and Linz 271-284). Estimates suggest that as much as 10% to 20% of real-life violence may be a duplication of media violence (Comstock and Strasburger 495-509). National Television Violence Study presented the following after a three years study: nearly two thirds of all programming contains violence; children's shows contain the most violence; portrayals of violence are usually glamorized; and perpetrators often go unpunished (Federman 1998). Violence on television can influence people to commit crimes. There is an increase of juvenile crimes in the world. While television violence is not the only cause of aggressive or violent behavior, researchers believe that it is clearly a significant factor. It is important

Global Marketing Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Global Marketing Plan - Research Paper Example How my decisions support the overall goal of growth and expansion? And last but not the least that How would I convince someone with the opposing perspective? In the end I would present my own views to support my decision and findings so far. Global Marketing Plan As I am supposed to present my thoughts regarding the globalization issue for the company, so in my views we should definitely move for globalization of our company. Since, our company has a wide range of clientele in Phoenix and Boston. People already know us here and our company is one of the most renowned furniture selling companies in town. Therefore, we would definitely have to take the opportunity like other companies and try to build the same repute in other locations as well. Moreover, I think we can do much better in other areas of the world as well. Therefore, in my point of view, it is the right time when we should expand our business internationally as well. Main reason behind this decision is to increase the ma rket share of our company. Moreover, if we expand our business in various regions across the globe then it will increase our sales and revenue as well. It will help our company to make its name in more locations, thus creating diversified customer range as well. One more factor to think about globalization is to search for more capable labor source from multiple areas of the world. This diversity will not only give us varied work force but also different minds to think for the benefit of the company in a better way. This is one way we can multiply our profits as well. As far as my rationale behind this decision is concerned, I stated already that globalization is truly good for our company at this moment. I don’t want to wait and let other competitors to take the advantage of this process. We have examples of many companies that have expanded their business to almost every side of the globe such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds, KFC, and so on. All these companies have not only gained lots of popularity around the world but also multiplied their revenues in a well-organized manner. If we lose the opportunity now, then some other company will lead us in this regard and gets all the benefits of globalization prior to us. When it comes to target any specific location then Europe is the best place to aim for. I have suggested Europe because we can gain a wide range of customers and competent workers from that place. Especially from Sweden we can get proficient workers and true furniture lovers from all over the continent. As per my studies people there are fond of good furniture. They like to give their homes a classy and trendy look. They follow trends and if we provide latest and chic styles designs of furniture then we can surely increase our clientele in that area. I have worked out enough to trace the location, where our company should target? The information I gathered using all my efforts, clearly shows that people in that area needs a good job with higher sa laries. We can easily target those areas to give them a good job and hence can upsurge our resources as well. It will also cut down our production cost because the salaries we are paying here in Boston and Phoenix are comparatively higher than the amount we would pay there. Not to compromise on the quality side, I would suggest that instead of making the furniture at other locations, we make them

Case Study #4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case Study #4 - Essay Example Against this background, the major problem sought to be addressed by the case study is that of trying to assist both Mike and Dorothy on the best way they can adopt in order to be better positioned to cope with the disease. The other issue being addressed is that of trying to find out possible means of helping Mike to prevent the disease, foster independence as well improving the quality of life. It can also be noted that emphasis is put on the notion that this kind of ailment is not equivalent to mental disorder or madness but just something that can be associated with old age where one can manage to treat it or live with it without major repercussions. This can be treated as a normal development in elderly people where they can get proper medication to overcome this ailment and lead a normal life once again. In some cases, elderly people tend to lose track of events which can be a normal thing given that the brain, just like any other part of the body reaches a point of getting tired as result of age thereby cannot continue to function perfectly compared to the young and energetic adult people. The major concepts presented in the text include the issue of forgetfulness which can either be attributed to Alzheimer disease. Schaie & Willis (2002) suggest that the condition of forgetfulness of the mind can be attributed to old age and this is seen as a normal development in the life of the human beings as they rich older ages. Thomas (1996) also concurs that research has shown that about 25 million adults have what he calls Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). Some do not know it but in case of the adult people, it can ruin their relationships because of their forgetfulness, inability to be on time and in some cases leaving unfinished projects. In the case of Mike, it can be noted that he is beginning to forget even week days as well as the names of

Relationship Marketing And Traditional Transactional Marketing Marketing Essay

Relationship Marketing And Traditional Transactional Marketing Marketing Essay The approach of a business towards the marketing discipline can generally be categorised as either being traditional or relationship based. Whilst the traditional approach has held sway for the last fifty years there are signs that relationship marketing may assume the dominant position in marketing thinking and application in the near future. This does not mean that traditional marketing will no longer have a role to play. The evidence from a study of the supermarket chain Asda is that its position as the UK number two supermarket brand has been largely achieved by following a traditional marketing approach. Equally, however, market leader Tesco has embraced relationship marketing using its Clubcard to help it build mutually beneficial relationships with its customers. This approach to its marketing has seen Tescos market share and profits continue to grow whilst Asdas have started to decline. On the face of it this would appear to demonstrate that, when it comes to supermarket marketing, the relationship approach is best. However, it is not that simple. The classic four Ps of the marketing mix, Product, Price Place and Promotion, are the cornerstone of traditional marketing with Price and Promotion having been Asdas primary focus. Also, there is an argument that says in the difficult economic times that consumers are currently experiencing then the price and value for money proposition advocated by Asda has more resonance with consumers than ever before. So, which is the most appropriate marketing path for Tesco and Asda to follow or should elements form both disciplines be adopted for optimum effect? This paper analyses the various points of view of both academics and marketing practioners and draws heavily on case study material to draw some conclusions for a possible way forward. Introduction and Background Relationship marketing, which involves the development, growth, and maintenance of long-term, cost-effective, and mutually beneficial relationships between a business and its customers, may be perceived as being a relatively new phenomenon (Grà ¶nroos, 1995). However, this is not the case as its origins actually pre-date the industrial revolution, a time when products were manufactured on a small scale and consumers had direct contact with the manufacturers and merchants from whom they purchased their goods. As industrialisation gathered pace the mass production of goods meant that direct contact between manufacturers and their end customers was no longer practical and middlemen evolved to bridge the gap. This, in turn, resulted in manufacturers becoming distant from their customers and adopting a transactional rather than customer relationship focus to their marketing and selling activities (Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1995). This transactional approach became increasingly sophisticated as marketing developed into a specialist and separate discipline within organisations, alongside the customer services and product quality control functions. The four Ps of marketing mix i.e. Product, Price, Place and Promotion, first muted by Borden (1964), have been a familiar and successful planning and execution framework for traditional marketing practioners since the 1960s. However, this traditional marketing philosophy has been facing an increasingly serious challenge to its dominant position from advocates of relationship-based marketing (Grà ¶nroos, 1995). The introduction of new technologies, such as the internet, has changed the way in which businesses are able to interact with their customers. This, together with the large scale removal of global trading barriers and the increasing homogenisation of consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour, have all served to fuel what has become known as the globalisation of world markets (Doole, and Lowe, 2008). This new global marketplace for products has necessitated the adoption of new and more effective marketing techniques and concepts by rival businesses striving to compete for the same customers. So rather than rely on traditional marketing techniques, which are based on identifying new prospects, converting them to customers, and completing sales transactions, businesses have increasingly focussed on developing meaningful relationships with their customers in order to both retain their custom and encourage them to spend more. The management of relationship marketing has been greatly facilitated by a change in attitude to the structure of the marketing, customer service and product quality control functions. Rather than these functions being distinct and disintegrated, as is the case in businesses with a traditional marketing focus, relationship marketing integrates these functions to enable the business to get closer to its customers and thus helping it to benefit from increased customer retention, and the nirvana that all businesses strive for, customer loyalty (Fill and Hughes, 2003). Customer loyalty can be defined as a form of repeat purchasing behaviour reflecting a conscious decision to continue buying the same brand. (Solomon et al. 2001, p. 259). Additionally, the financial efficacy of customer retention versus new customer acquisition is well established. Indeed most academic studies on the subject propound the view that the costs of acquiring new customers can be up to five times higher than tho se costs associated with retaining existing customers (Heskett et al., 1994; Webster, 1994; Cespedes, 1995). In the current global marketplace, Jones (1992) believes that businesses have no choice but to build and retain the loyalty of existing customers if they are to survive and grow. Supermarket chains, such as Tesco and Asda, act as a reference point for attitudes to loyalty, with 72% of consumers feeling loyal to at least one organisation operating in the highly competitive supermarket sector, according to a study by the Logic Group, a specialist in loyalty programmes management, and researcher Ipsos MORI (Fernandez, 2009). Tesco Clubcard a key relationship tool Tesco has been the dominant force in supermarket retailing for the last ten years (Seth and Randall, 2001). It remains the market leading supermarket chain in the UK with a 30.4% market share and has, in the early part of 2010, further widened the gap between itself and its arch rival ASDA, a position which has largely been attributed to the success of its recent Clubcard double points promotion (MacDonald, 2010). To succeed, relationship marketing requires the development and maintenance of strong personal relationships with customers. These relationships should include a high degree of mutual interaction and social exchange (Zineldin and Philipson, 2007). Tescos Clubcard is the cornerstone of its customer relationship marketing strategy. Launched in February 1995, Tescos Clubcard gained five million users within its first month of operation and, significantly and somewhat ironically for a loyalty card, 200,000 new customers also joined the scheme (Seth and Randall, 2001). Clubcard works by enabling its users to collect points when shopping at Tesco stores and online at Tesco.com and also at Tescos catalogue store, Tesco Direct. In addition, points can be collected at Tesco petrol stations and by paying for any goods or services using a Tesco credit card. Tesco Clubcard holders can also collect points when making non Tesco purchases, such as paying for gas or electricity through utilities supplier e.on (Tesco website, 2010). These points are then converted into money-off vouch ers for customers to use in store. However, Clubcard is much more than simply a vehicle to reward customer loyalty. By collecting customer data at registration, Clubcard is also a powerful marketing planning tool for Tesco. It enables the retailer to track customer shopping habits, including the products bought and their purchase frequency, thus enabling Tesco to target specific product and service promotions to specific customers, either at the point of sale or at the customers home via direct marketing. Tesco has attracted some criticism for using its loyalty scheme in this way but it argues that it works in the interests of its customers by aiding the business and product development process. Indeed, Tesco Chief Executive, Sir Terry Leahy, states that: We could not have created the dot-com business without the data from the loyalty card (Humby et al, 2007, page 4). As well developing relationships by creating highly targeted and personalised communications for its customers, Tesco has fulfilled another one of the key objectives of relationship marketing with its Clubcard, namely getting its existing customers to purchase more products. For example, using its Clubcard customer data, Tesco can identify possible target customers for its non-food products. It then mails these customers about such products via the medium of its quarterly Clubcard newsletter. This strategy has resulted in half of all Tescos traditional grocery customers also purchasing non food items from the chain (Humby et al, 2007). Data collected from Clubcard users has also been credited with helping to fuel Tescos recent dramatic international expansion with one third of its entire staff now working outside the UK (Humby et al, 2007). Tesco has extended its Clubcard brand into specific customer market segments in order to enhance its relationships with certain groups with a view to increasing sales to those specific customer segments. Clubcard data revealed that families with babies and toddlers who shopped regularly at Tesco did not believe that they could trust the Tesco brand as the best place to buy baby and toddler related products. These customers tended to place their trust in Boots for such products (Humby et al, 2007). A key identified element of successful relationship marketing is trust: The resources of the seller personnel, technology and systems have to be used in such a manner that the customers trust in the resources involved and, thus, in the firm itself is maintained and strengthened (Grà ¶nroos, 1990, p.5) Tesco decided that it needed to specifically address the issue of trust for these customers and created the Tesco baby and toddler club. Membership of the club enables families with babies and toddlers to get double Clubcard points on certain products as well as giving them free parking spaces close to store entrances, a free magazine and access to specialist parenting advice (Tesco baby and toddler club website, 2010). This relationship marketing initiative directly led to an increase of trust in the Tesco brand for baby and toddler products from this market segment and a consequent transfer of market share from Boots. Now Tescos sales volume of baby and toddler products is more than that of Boots and Mothercare combined (Stone et al, 2010). Effective relationship marketing that truly enhances customer relationships and leads to business improvement also requires that the marketing discipline in an organisation transcends all functions and embeds itself in the ethos of the business (Zineldin and Philipson, 2007). Tesco is totally focussed on its customers and information about customer needs and purchasing trends are disseminated to all parts of the organisation not just marketing. Indeed, Tesco claims that everything its does is rooted in customer knowledge (Tesco Careers Website, 2010). So it can be seen that Tescos Clubcard has certainly played a major role in securing and enhancing its market leading position and, as far as contributing to the bottom line is concerned, then there is evidence that it has also generated incremental sales and profits (Humby et al, 2007). Equally it has not caused an increase in overall marketing spend for Tesco as much of the funding for Clubcard has come from the reallocation of resources from other areas of marketing spend, such as TV advertising (Humby et al, 2007). However, it should also be remembered, of course, that Tesco has not completely disowned the traditional marketing concept as its ongoing aggressive price promotions demonstrate. Asda a traditional price-led approach Some academics suggest that here has been a paradigm shift from traditional to relationship marketing (Grà ¶nroos, 1995) and that traditional marketing does not fulfil the requirements demanded by the modern-day marketing concept (Gummesson, 1995, 2000). Kotler (1997), however, argues that the decision whether to use relationship marketing or transactional marketing depends on the industry type and, more importantly, on the needs and wants of the particular consumer. Some consumers will always adopt a short-term attitude in their relationships with suppliers (Zineldin and Philipson, 2007). In these cases traditional marketing based on the transactional approach will always have an important role to play. Asda is the second largest supermarket chain in the UK with around 17% market share (Macdonald, 2010). Its market ambitions are summed up in it mission statement which is to be Britains best value retailer exceeding customer needs always and in its stated purpose which is to make goods and services more affordable for everyone (Times 100, Asda Case Study, 2010, p.34). Asda has recognised the fickle nature of some consumers relationships with their supermarkets and acknowledges that the purchasing motivation of those consumers will always be based on obtaining best value (Zineldin and Philipson, 2007). Asda has, therefore, consistently adopted a transactional approach to its marketing by focussing heavily on two of the four Ps of the marketing mix advocated by traditionalists namely, Price and Promotion. Asda has built its market position around price and value for money, supporting these propositions through heavyweight TV advertising with its TV commercials having now propounded the virtues of Asda price for well over thirty years. Asdas strategic communications director, Nick Agarwal, defends Asdas traditional marketing approach, which focuses on attracting new customers and increasing transactions through its price and value led proposition, by stating that the current economic times dictate this type of offer in the supermarket sector. He says : Our internal data suggests that people are still very nervous about what will happen on the economic front this year. We need to make sure we serve new customers as well as those who are still feeling financially challenged, especially with the increase in VAT and public sector cuts that are to come. We are very conscious that value is still going to be at the heart of what people want in the coming 18 months.'(Costa, 2010). However, whilst Asda has enjoyed considerable success with its traditional marketing strategy, there are now indications that its approach has failed to reverse a slow decline in sales. According to research from Kantar Worldpanel, Asdas sales have fallen by 0.4% in the second quarter of 2010 and its market share has dropped by 1.7% to 16.9% in the same period (Baker, 2010). Asda seems determined to continue to pursue its traditional approach but independent observers are urging the chain to change to reflect new consumer attitudes. Ed Garner, retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel says. The market has changed considerably and now consumers feel there is more to life than low prices (Baker, 2010). There are even dissenting voices within Asdas own ranks with Asdas new marketing director Jon Owen believing that the supermarket chain must cease its blinkered focus on traditional price-led marketing in order to compete more effectively (Baker, 2010). Asda has, however, made some concessions to relationship marketing through its corporate social responsibility initiatives. These include community involvement projects through its Asda Foundation (Your Asda website, 2010) and the provision of credit to those customers who have been refused credit by other lenders (Hemingway, 2002). However, it would seem that there are still strong forces inside and outside the business questioning whether or not a predominantly traditional marketing approach remains a viable strategy for future success. Summary and Conclusions From the evidence of two contrasting case studies it is apparent that both traditional and relationship marketing have proven to be appropriate for business success within the supermarket retail sector. However, there are indications that consumers are now beginning to expect more than just low prices and value for money from their shopping experience, they have also demonstrated a desire to engage in a meaningful relationship with their supermarket of choice. This relationship, if managed effectively by the supermarket chain, can increase customer loyalty and can encourage customers to their purchasing behaviour for specific product segments, as well as generating incremental sales from new and existing customers. Tesco, has also shown that a customer relationship strategy based on the development of mutually beneficial relationships can, and indeed does, positively impact the bottom line. Asda, for its part appears to be the subject of a struggle between the opposing forces of traditional and relationship marketing. However, this need not be the case. There is no reason why both disciplines should be in opposition. Even if there is a shift towards relationship marketing, many academics believe that traditional marketing, in terms of the four Ps of the marketing mix, remains valid in all types of businesses including supermarket retailing. The argument being that if a business does not have the right price, product promotion or place (distribution) for its products then it will be impossible for it to enter into a mutually beneficial relationship with its customers (Zineldin, and Philipson, 2007). There is, therefore, strong evidence to suggest that a mix of both the traditional and relationship approach is the most appropriate for the Supermarket sector in the UK. Tesco has achieved this balance but Asda has yet to fully embrace the value of relationship marketing acting alongside a more traditional approach. The view that it needs to do this and quickly in order to grow its business appears to be gathering momentum.

Contemporary Society

There are many contemporary social concerns in the world today. Information on these concerns can be found just about anywhere including the Internet, T.V. and even articles. A critical thinker has a responsibility to find out information on the topic that is correct, true, has validity and limited to no biases. One contemporary issue that is going on is the issue with the addiction to crystal meth. A critical thinker needs to be able to understand the validity and truth behind a writers work, understand the importance of ethics and moral reasoning, and understand the advantages of informational technology.Any critical thinker can understand how crystal meth addiction is impacting the contemporary world today. Crystal meth is a very addictive drug and has many side effects to the brain and to the body. In order for a critical thinker to find reliable resources, he or she must research many areas of a writer’s paper.One way that a person can understand if a an article, website, etc. is a reliable source is to conduct research on the resources that writer four his or her information. All resources need to be creditable and those in turn have to credit where the information came from. This information needs to be written by someone who is an expert in the field at hand. In this case the topic is crystal meth addiction. An expert should have no issue with peer-reviewed.A reference should also be peer-reviewed. When a source is peer-reviewed it  has been reviewed and passed by a board that works in the author’s field of study. This can lead to  sources being published allowing others to view information that is correct. It can also create an issue in having some articles rejected if the peer-reviewers do not agree with the information that is being printed. An example of information that can be rejected is bias information.A critical thinker needs to be careful to understand when he or she is coming across bias. Bias is when the writer is defending one side over the other is facts. When a research paper is written, it needs to cover all sides of the issue at hand. A research paper on crystal meth addiction would be bias if it only described how poor, homeless people become addicted to crystal meth. A critical thinker should be able to understand how this is bias and not true. A critical thinker should be able to understand that people from all walks of life could and can become addicted to crystal meth. Along with a critical thinker understanding bias in a resource, he or she must also understand validity.In order for a critical thinker to hold full responsibility for a resource, he or she must look into the validity of a resource. Validity revolves around the logic and truth behind information. A resource must contain both truth and logic. The truth is what a research paper is all about. Information must be true and contain information that can be backed up by research and education. An topic of addiction to crystal meth is a very big social concern that people should be educated on. This information must come from studies, research, and information that have been provided by researchers who have studied the field and have done a number of tests. When looking into the facts about crystal meth addiction, a critical thinker must be able to understand what is the truth and what is not.Many articles about crystal meth addiction have stats and percentages. A critical thinker must be able to look at the stats and percentages and understand where the resource is getting the information. There may come times when the percentages are off based on where the information has come  from. A critical thinker should be able to understand that if an article states that there are a zero percentage of people addicted to crystal meth, this is not the truth and this information should not be looked into. This also contains the fact of how factual the information really is.Fact is a very big part of understanding literatu re review. When a critical thinker is looking at literature, he or she needs the information to be true and to have fact behind every word. If an article is published with fake information, this can lead to the critical thinker having misinformation and understanding the topic of addiction to crystal meth in the wrong way. Every piece of literature that a critical thinker reads must have great resources, peer-reviewed information, contain no bias, and have validity to back it up in order to get the correct and right information.When looking into a piece of literature, a critical thinker should looking into the resources, peer-viewed, bias, and validity of the information at hand. This will allow the critical thinker to get the best information for his or her information on a topic such as the addiction to crystal meth. Finding these four main points in a piece of literature will help keep information as reliable as possible on a contemporary issue.Researching the addiction to crysta l meth will result in a major number of findings. It is  the responsibility of a critical thinker to understand the findings of each piece of literature he or she looks into. The first thing to look into is the information about crystal meth addiction. The site that has been published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse is full of information about what crystal meth (methamphetamine) is, what it does to a person, the statistics and trends, how it is abused and must more. In order to make sure this site is going to be useful, a contemporary thinker must look into the sources, bias, and validity of the literature and when the last time it was updated.This website has a section that deals with the research resources. This is  a good place to start in order to make sure the information is going to meet the criteria. The research resource includes a list of genetics research resources, data harmonization projects, and justice system resources. This information will provide where the information on the site has come from and who can back it up in order to make sure it is valid information. Here a critical thinking can see whom the NIH (National Institute on Drug Abuse) teamed up with in order to get the findings and information they have published. These researchers can be looked into and followed up with in order to make sure that the NIH is using true and real information on the topic of crystal meth addiction.The information found on the research resources will also let the person know that this information has been peer-viewed by all of the researchers involved in the findings. The next part that a critical thinker needs to look into is if there is any bias information in the literature. Bias information is information that is leading more towards one side.Reading the information  that the National Institute on Drug Abuse has written it is easy to see that the information is not bias and deals with the facts of crystal meth addiction. There is informat ion on how the drug is used. The NIH states â€Å"methamphetamine [crystal meth] is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting crystalline powder that easily dissolves in water or alcohol and is taken orally, intranasally (snorting the powder), by needle injection, or by smoking (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2010, para 2). There is nothing that is bias about the information found on this website. The literature is informational and very valid.The validity of the information is very present. After reading through all of the resources and researchers involved, a critical thinker can understand that the information at hand is valid. This website has information that is both logical and factual present throughout all of the information that it provides. The same steps can be applied to another article about crystal meth.Sherry Mumford wrote an article called Putting meth addiction in context. This article should be researched to make sure it follows the same guidelines as the first literat ure information. The article revolves around Chilliwack, B.C. and the crystal meth addiction that can be found there. Sherry Mumford wrote the article and was published by Torstar Syndication Services, a Division of Toronto Star Newspapers, LLC. This LLC peer-viewed the article and found that the information was valid and decided to publish it.A critical thinker could argue that the article has some bias parts in it. The article states that â€Å"[Meth] is not an epidemic. It’s a drug trend and it’s problematic. It came on fairly quickly but it will go away† (Mumford, 2004, para 6). This information is leading more towards saying  that crystal meth is not addiction and is more of just a trend that is going around. This does not give the allusion that crystal meth is addictive and some people have trouble getting off the drug. This could also be considered in the validity of the article.The validity of an article is very important. The article contains some num ber on how many people are seeking help in the area. The article states â€Å"a total of 1,200 young people sought help from Fraser Health addictions services in 2003-04, and for adult clients the total was 5,500 in that same period† (Mumford, 2004, para 14). This information is very valid and the overall validity of the article is good.Another way to make sure that a piece of literature checks out is to see when the last time it was updated. An article called Straight faces about meth addiction was published in 2005 by Torstar Syndication Services, A Division of Toronto Star Newspaper, LLC. This article was peer-viewed by the publication company. The article also has a side bar stating the it was late updated in 2010. This left five years for new information to be found and changed if any information was not the same or not correct. This can be a real help to a critical thinker when making sure the information is right. The information also needs to contain no bias.The artic le deals with information on how to try and stop the crystal meth addiction. This article is not bias in anyway. The article is trying to help parents understand that even if it seems tough, there can be help for a son or daughter to get out of the addiction. The article does not state that is not help, which would lead to bias information. Stating that there is no help for anyone who becomes addicted to crystal meth would lead to a bias view. Knowledge of  resources will help a critical thinker understand the truth and validity behind literature.Knowledge not only helps a critical thinker understand the truth and validity behind literature but it can also help with the impact of social elements on both local and global communities. The knowledge that a person gains through social and institution elements can really have an impact on both local communities and global communities.Academic knowledge can impact local communities from a social element on the topic of crystal meth addi ction. People are taught that addiction is real and can effect so many people. It is important for people to understand that addiction can be found locally and education can help with the issue. When it comes to addiction, the more educated a person is, the better the understanding that person will have on the topic and how go about the issue.The Internet is a big way for people to gain academic knowledge on information that is going on locally and globally. This information can help a person see the underling issues that come with crystal meth addiction. Academic knowledge can help people understand the truth in small communities and even across the world. Academic knowledge can be anything from what a person learns in school to what is taught to us by others such as a co-worker who was educated in crystal meth addiction.Academic knowledge can have a big impact on local communities. Understanding the truth behind crystal meth addiction can really help a community understand the iss ue. An article written by Goble and Battershill  talks about how the leaders of a town decided to educate the town on crystal meth. A man by the name of Ramsey held a movie screening at the local highschool. Ramsey stated that the forum â€Å"will include a screening of a disturbing eighteen minute film† (Goble and Battershill, 2005, para 17). This information will help to inform the local community and help keep them educated on the topic of addiction.Being educated is the best way to try and find a resolution to any issue in a community. The communities need to know that some side effects of a crystal meth user are â€Å"extreme paranoia, visual and auditory hallucinations and severe cognitive impairment† (Lecomte, 2005, para 3). This can help others to understand what they need to look for in a person who is addicted to any type of drug, not just crystal meth. A person can then use their knowledge to understand that drugs mess with the brain and body.Academic know ledge can also help a critical thinker understand that an environment can have a lot to do with a person who is venerable to addiction. Through academic knowledge we learn that there are different environments, which can lead to different outcomes of how someone is raise, different types of cultures, and different subdivisions. An article by Matt Hartley talks about how some areas in the world can lead to a higher change of a person becoming addicted to drugs. Matt Hartley states â€Å"It’s hard enough to positively conduct treatment in you own community, [but] sending the kids far away, especially to a larger city where they’re going to run into a lot more troubled youth, is tricky† (Hartley, 2006, para. 9). This leads to the issue of the global community academic education can have an impact on.It is very important for a any person to know what is going on around the glob. A person can apply academic education to a global matter. The education a person has to apply to a local  community can also be applied to a global community. If using environment as an example, the same different types of environments in a community can also  be found around the world. Education does not only have to be academic. Education and information can be taught at a young age from anywhere.A survey back in 2009 came back with the results that â€Å"one out of every five students who filled out the survey from after an anti-drug group’s presentation said they know of someone using crystal meth† (Ryan, 2009, Infomart). Kids all across the globe need to be educated on this topic and understand the issues that come along with the addiction to not only crystal meth, but also any drug for that matter. Education is everywhere. Active citizenship in this matter and education could really help with the percentage of addicts in a community and around the globe.Active citizenship could impact the issue of the addiction to crystal meth in the next five t o ten years. The active citizenship has already started to help with getting the numbers of people addicted to crystal meth down. The National Institute of Drug Abuse has reported that the use of crystal meth in teens has started to drop of the recent years. The site suggests that this is because of all of the attention being brought to the subject. If this continues of the next five to ten years, there could be a very low rate at the end. The next five to ten years could show a very big difference in what we see today.Using education, the next five to ten years could show an great drop in the amount of users of crystal meth. There are many different types of educational tools out there besides academic. People can also become educated with the World Wide Web, multimedia (blogs,  videos, radio), television. Education has already started to bring down the number of kids doing crystal meth. According to Geoffrey Laredo there has already been a â€Å"significant decrease in methamph etamine abuse† (Laredo, 2004, para 1). Education has helped with this.Education keeps growing and so does technology. Technology in the next five to ten years is going to be a great impact with how education works today. Today people can find information on any topic on the Internet. Giving technology five to ten years is going to help education further and help so  many more people with the information of addiction to crystal meth.There are so many blogs and videos out there that help people understand why not to do drugs and what the side effects are. Videos, blogs, and prodcasts are a way for people to communicate with each other or even gain information on a topic like crystal meth addiction. When it comes to videos, blogs, and prodcasts; a critical thinker has to be careful about the information that is being provided. These types of multimedia can contain lots of bias and very little validity.There are many blogs out there about addiction. A blog is a personal webpage or website that allows that person to write opinions, stories, personal information, and also allows for others to comment on this information. There are many blogs about addiction that are full of information about recovery, the struggles, and what each person went through personally as a addict or as a family or friend of an addict.The blog called An Addict In Our Son’s Bedroom is a blog for parents dealing with an addict child. This blog allows for the main â€Å"Mom and Dad† to communicate with others and for others to reach out to them. The blog does not seem to have very many resources and can come across as bias in some cases. The information in this blog is valid based on the fact that it is coming from real life stories.A critical thinker can apply academic knowledge to this blog and understand the validity of the issues and the fact that some parts may come across as bias. A critical thinker can also understand how some of the information is not true nor meet s the qualifications of a peer-viewed article. The information on the blog is very relevant to the issue at hand: Addiction to crystal meth.This blog has many stories of what a family member of a user is going through. It also tells stories of how the people reach out to others and even talks to school students about the issues with addiction and what addiction can do to a person. There is so much personal information that statistics and numbers will not give someone. The validity and truth behind a blog is much different than the type of truth a validity one would get from an article backed up by many sources.Academic knowledge can help a person understand contemporary social concerns and how to apply the principles of active citizenship to those issues. A critical thinker needs to be able to know what information is good and what information is questionable. A critical thinker needs to be able to understand the validity, bias, and important of peer-viewed resource  and the impor tance of technology gathering data when dealing with any type of concern. This will help a critical thinker gain information that is correct, valid, and usable in the real world.