Saturday, March 14, 2020

Sales, banking, people and motivation Essays

Sales, banking, people and motivation Essays Sales, banking, people and motivation Essay Sales, banking, people and motivation Essay Allied Banking Corporation has been operating as a commercial bank for over thirty years increasing its number of branches in the Philippines to over 283 sites and a lot of other international representative units strategically place globally. (Alliedbank 2005). The following areas of concern were noted during the study and research of the organization: a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology and globalization. The website of the bank alliedbank.com.ph lacks online chat mode for online inquiries that needs immediate attention. Foreign rates are not updated early first thing in the morning. I used their emailing system for a simple ABA number inquiry of their correspondent bank in U.S.A. and I was not given the correct answer, instead I was asked to make a search in their correspondent bank’s website. It was a simple inquiry and yet their customer service representative cannot supply a handy answer. Basic things they should know when they are out there in the field. Online banking is powered by Bancnet online with a fund transfer mode facility that does not function even for same bank local transactions. There is no president’s message in their president’s message page. I used the email provided for the president’s message and I was wondering if it has a link since it does not have a pop up window. Anyway I sent an email to the email address that was given and until now there was no reply received from the president nor did I receive any auto email responder. The online banking page does not have an online application form for opening of new accounts where clients can manage filling up the new accounts form first then go to their desired branches for the presentation of needed requirements and signature. Compared with HSBC website, page for forms and documents can be downloaded at hsbc.com.ph/ph/forms/forms.htm, HSBC I think has more of an edge to customer service and global banking. There is no toll free phone service number provided for phone call queries. An organization as global as Allied Bank managing without the recent technology to enhance full-bloom customer service relationship management system. I wonder if one loses his AT card in the middle of the night can sue the bank for failure to provide the facilities to call without paying in case of loses if at that time he does no t have any funds to make a paid call to the Head Office regular hotline number and nobody in the nearby branches is awake to make the hold out card transaction. b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Customer service experience and motivation. There is an apparent lack of call center service representation and the technology to support and sustain bank activities. Bank employee’s motivation via technology utilization and improvement may be provided by an online banking tool which may grab and hold onto customers for life which is supposedly shall be the heart of any bank’s long term strategy. The heart is missing now, there are only people moving but with total lack of motivation and enthusiasm, adept knowledge of bank products and power leadership drives to destination unknown for a decentralize area of authority. c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cross selling and motivation. Cross selling bank’s affiliate companies products is a good form of interchanging efforts to enhance incorporator’s investments. If we take a look to the way it was implemented, we can see that a good part of the look out and selling process of the New York Life (NYL) insurance products has been placed on the shoulders of the bank’s Branch Heads (BH) and down to the shoulders of the staff. In my research there is only the presence of push and figures for sales quota. There was an absence of monitoring and analysis to effective sales communication process between bankers and customers in terms of planning and follow up system. The NYL organization absolutely runs from the structure of the bank which may be the initial plan but failed to distinguish corporate mission statement and goals of the bank which are selling their basic products. NYL people were only there to present and close sale but follow ups and look out for prospective market were the burden of the BHs. Mabuhay Miles could be a free promo product from Philippines Airlines which is also their sister company, but their coordinator and software failed to give specific reports of a list of those who were enrolled at their depository branch alphabetically. So the new accounts representative has to make a search for the number or name of the depositor first before enrolling. Management has given strict policy of recruiting to accounts that were two years old and over but there was no provision in the software of Allied Bank to easily access deposit accounts with their corresponding ages. How do you think employees who were given the quota will manage to enlist depositors and feel about how things work and run in the organization? d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Work conditions and overtime payments. Cost cutting and soliciting bank employees motivation is not well compensated when air conditioning were being replaced by electric fans to save on electricity. Imagine the smell and the heat of a work environment as such as an airtight closed room to elaborate without proper ventilation and air conditioning. There is a predetermined air conditioning operating hours. Even if we allow one unit to run it still cannot accommodate to cool the entire branch where people are still working. The worst that is happening is the slashing of the number of hours worked beyond regular hours, overtime by the employee. Remember being away from your family for so long a time even extending to late evenings and getting paid for only a percentage of the work done. A very good motivation and behavior reinforcers scheme to develop a rebelling stubborn employee. e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Product knowledge and training. Most of the time the bank offers products and services with no training and orientation made on product knowledge. Only memos were given. And if they hold trainings, employees are not being paid for the attendance. It is already a fact with the organization that if they hold half day seminars in Cebu province in particular, it usually ends at about 2-3pm with no provisions for lunches or meals. Only light snacks were given. Employees do not want to attend seminars anymore because of the effects on their health. Imagine listening to your upper level management speeches in pangs of hunger if it won’t drive you to the doors of the doctors for illnesses of hyperacidity and ulcers. f.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Duties and responsibilities vs. delegation of functions. Tellers and new accounts were given a lot of delegated responsibilities by supervisors and officers. They cannot do anything about it because of the provision of HRD in their list of duties and responsibilities captioned as â€Å"and all other duties and responsibilities assigned by the branch†. The context of their functions is not really performing their relative functions but extended to the functions of the officers as well. This gives an idea of opportunity to enjoy for some Branch Operation Officers the task of reading newspapers almost the entire day, making telephone conversations, signing documents and making follow ups on delegated functions. Nice pay good work! This in fact curtails the voice of the employee to cite abuse. g.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Branch assignments and job rotations and motivations. The present transfers of branch assignments and job rotations without the agreement of the employee concern. 2005 memorandum states that the maximum number of years they are allowed to stay in a branch is five years only. Everything is based on instructions and management prerogative to transfer employees, nothing on how employee feels on the new workload and how they react on the proximity of their new branch assignments from home. Travel and stress make the most part of their time going to work from north to south. How about the consideration of skills and building up of rapport with customer service? How can HRD disregard familiarization and period of adjustments, qualification, satisfaction, and employee morale? Organization change analysis and proposal Consultative banking described the roles of bankers as consultant to their customers maximizing recognized opportunities by discussing alternatives and assisting them in their decision making phase with utmost confidence. This kind of approach to sales requires bankers to look at their products and services from their customer’s point of view making it as relevant as an increase in market share profitability and development of long term relationship in a highly competitive industry. The focal point of selling then is to understand the needs of the customers with total annihilation of the concept of door to door selling. The link therefore is increasing the employee’s ability to uncover needs, solve problems and improve situations of the customers to a mutually beneficial relationship. (Richardson 1984). The approach therefore is building relationships which are a great contrast to the issues I have cited in branch transfers and job rotations. Building relationship requi res time and it won’t benefit the bank if in the time that you almost get to know the customer you will be transferred to another branch. In their drive for a Know Your Client (KYC) directive, they forgot that time encompasses such development. Employees also experience low morale and great stress in accepting responsibilities against their will. Real motivation stems from good leadership and follows the guidelines set by nature. Motivations as emotions have unconsciously set its place in the day-to-day operations of the bank. (Maddock Fulton 1998). The prevalence and expression of emotions at work were certainly overlooked by management. Where emotions and rationality complement each other, it shall be used in a constructive manner to energize people by getting them cognitively and affectively engaged in their individual work. Efforts and expectations do not address the heart of an individual. It only deals with his hand and of his head. â€Å"Leaders may persuade with log ic, but they motivate through emotion. Leaders must come to grips with the challenges of emotion, a key driver of productivity, quality and other factors that lead to business success. When you want to motivate people to take action, engage their emotions.† (Ashforth 1995). This explains well how the idea of branch assignments and transfers may be detrimental to the health of the organization. It leaves customers and does not make it possible for the bank to strengthen the portfolio of banking products as part of their core banking solution to establish global customer base. It is a simple hello and goodbye interface making it more visible for the customers to opt whether to increase or decrease their business with the bank. Moreover the continuing dissatisfaction of the employees of having to invest additional time and effort in going to work were exhibited by getting up earlier than usual in the morning to make allowances for travel time and coming in late at home as late as 8-9pm because of travel time and annoying traffic congestion. They don’t even have the appropriate quality time spent to take care of their family and kids because of the very early and very late schedule to get out and come back to home base. Proximity from home to work sh all be a major consideration by HRD when they plan to release schedules for transfers and branch assignments. They should hear the dilemma of stress and anxiety brought by too long travel time and getting to develop a stranger relationship with one’s immediate family. This is surmounted by the deal of adjustments an employee has to undertake on different work stations. Authority could be a well demeaning word when it comes to violations of the rights of the employees to express their sentiments about the present trend of movements. HRD shall get the confirmation of the employee first to know if they are happy in following instructions without their consensus. Emotions play a good deal with employee’s motivations and dissatisfaction that may lead to rebellion and absenteeism due to decline and lack of dedication and enthusiasm to perform work. Order must be made with regards to the order in branch assignments and order with regards to personal family lives of the concer ned employees. Cost cutting of air conditioning electricity and slashing of number of hours rendered for overtime are unjust and humiliating. For all the income the bank has generated, the bank wants to give its employees fair pay to fair labor. Management must implement change of behavior on themselves for these so called unjust practices. This is not a Christian way of treating one’s workforce. Instead management shall look into giving meal allowances for employees who stayed to work until or past dinner time be it 6:30pm or 7pm. Control factors for anticipated excessive overtime shall be made upon submission of application by simply saying yes or no after evaluation of the work that needs to be done. Work is facilitated and employee is more motivated if work conditions are satisfactory. Management shall in no condition limit air space circulation and cooling when somebody is still at work. Management shall create a group to determine and identify loopholes in operations and leadership. It shall serve to identify changes in behaviors of employees and the motivation factors that needs to encourage work and build a strong workforce to gain a competitive edge over other banks. Surveys shall be made and distributed to all employees. Performance appraisals must not be limited to and subjected to appraise staff alone. Another form of appraisal shall be created to gauge performance of officers also. Praise and working conditions are two motivating factors that will decide employee’s enthusiasm to excel work performance. The bank may infuse on their management intervention the use of motivating language to impart effective communication on employee performance and enhance critical employee attitude. (Mayfield Mayfield 2006). In order to stimulate employee motivation, BH shall clarify goals for subordinates to eradicate uncertainties in the process. He must be able to give everyone his role in making sales. Like if a new accounts clerk has to open a minimum of two accounts per day, then he must understand to figure out to make one more sale the day after tomorrow if he only opened one account the next day. Empathy is very important when speaking to subordinates with emotional understanding. This is critical when it comes to issues of cross selling products. BH shall understand that it is not banking anymore but pure cross selling by which the selling process shall be done only upon completion of basic banking duties and responsibilities. A matter of factual disorientation will occur as to which one t o prioritize between the employer’s products or the affiliate companies products. Pressure shall not be downloaded to the wrong workforce. Cross selling shall be done only as an extension of the bank’s sales and services. There is a big difference on the two and very big impact on employee’s attitude towards work. It may be apparent that employees do not value working on extended services when their own duties and responsibilities with additional delegated tasks are already covering their work hours. The bank shall have a look with their reengineering, workload, and cross selling features that has been pressuring officers and staff to achieve branch quota. Technology is vital to global connectivity to sustain operations and create an edge to customer satisfaction and experience. The toll free number, call center aspect, and the website are extensions of the branch operating hours. In the issues of technology and globalization, the website will serve to generate its own advantages. Some channels like ATM machines have greatly helped to free-up-front bank sales staff from transactional activities but banks needed to trust new capabilities in order to increase their share of the customer wallet. It is finding the right product and the right relationship with the perfect technology. Employees must be given the proper training and of course the proper incentives to attend seminars and training in the issues of product knowledge and training. It will be their only mode of distinguishing leads to prioritize, creating sales scripts, and fulfilling sales. Although a lot depends on the execution, getting the human sales force to full advantage r emains to be a challenge for the bank that have been placing budget constraints in all the wrong places. Managers must learn to acknowledge worker’s performance and take feedbacks. A straight forward in depth communication could be the cure to lift their morale. Employees shall be informed of whatever is happening in the bank and not being discriminated for any regular news item other than for memos and instructions. Managers shall take the initiative to make them feel at home with the bank and not alienated to enhance team’s capability to perform effectively in the future. Group performance relates to group composition taking into account the nature and attributes of each member. It deals with heterogeneity and creativity as it considers familiarity and performance of team building. (Dickinson Guzzo 1996). To provide the right customer experience, the bank has to provide the right employee experience. It is a chain. It will spread once it gets motivated. Motivation i s not always in the form of reward systems although it can affect desires but it has more to do with emotions, relationships, and leadership. The bank has already reached its peak of performance, if it won’t seek to change its present situation, it will likely slide down.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

A report on a chipset Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A report on a chipset - Essay Example Chipsets perform the task of ensuring that the system’s performance is as per the required standards of working mechanical products. The functioning of systems with the use of chipsets becomes easier and is often simplified as compared to when they might not have any. Further improvement in technology has made it increasingly easy to make the chipsets more efficient, while at the same time, they are being made smaller with each passing period, and technological advancement. This feature has made the systems they are incorporated in to perform better, and are less heavy. Chipsets are a main feature in many systems. There are some errors that are associated with such technology. However, there are new ways that have come up to ensure that these chipsets function properly. This paper will review the use of the chipset in a computer system. Also, how they affect the performance, and functions of computers. Ever since the invention of computers, working has become easier over the past. The growth of international corporations has been attributed to computers. They have been considered the most valuable assets that any company could have. Almost every office in the world today is equipped with at least one computer (Lyla 56-58). The importance of knowing how to use this technology has led to the worldwide acceptance of people into these organizations. They are often used to perform many different functions. Under special guidance, they are able to complete tasks as required in many organizations. The most recent development in the computer era is the use of microchips. The use of these microchips or chipsets has helped the computer system to perform its functions better. An example that can arise in the computer system of a chipset is the graphic and audio microchips. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the term microchip was used to refer to chips present in the motherboard. These microchips were often used to customise the functioning of audio and

Monday, February 10, 2020

There are limitations, but financial management accounting perform a Essay - 1

There are limitations, but financial management accounting perform a fundamental role in the measurement of performance within the organisation'' Critically evaluate the statement - Essay Example Financial accounting on the other hand is the use of financial data within a company to analyse the performance of the company. Financial accounting encompasses the use of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to produce financial statements that critically evaluate the financial performance of a given company over a certain period of time (usually a year). During the course of financial accounting, a record is kept for all the business transaction of a company and that record is formally produced in the form of formal statements. These financial statements are used by to facilitate external users such as the shareholders, lenders and suppliers of an organisation (Bushman et al, 2001). Both these methods of performance management and evaluation may seem identical as per their definitions but in reality they both are quite different from each other. Management accounting is basically information generated and used by the employees and the management of that company, the information and the data generated within the management accounting scope is future oriented and carries forecasting value to the management of the organisation. Financial accounting on the other hand involves the use of Accounting Standards (mainly IASs); which are a set of principle issued by different countries. Financial accounting information is generally used by many different people such as the lenders, shareholders, employees, etc. This information is easily available to everyone, in contrast, the managerial accounting information is not that easily available. The nature of management accounting is forward looking i.e. it tends to focus on future issues and the reports are generally produced whenever they are needed whilst the financial accounting nature is concerned with the past performance of the company and the reports involved are usually time bound i.e. they are usually produced yearly, half yearly, quarterly, etc. (Bacidore et al, 1999;

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Digitizing Accounts Payable Documents Essay Example for Free

Digitizing Accounts Payable Documents Essay When accounting files are sent to the archives at the end of the year, the portion taken up by the accounts payable documents usually exceeds that of all other documents combined. For some companies with high accounts payable files, it is a major expense to remove all the paperwork, box it up and identify it, and ship it off to a warehouse, from which it must be recalled occasionally for various tasks. Digitizing the documents is a means of avoiding the expense of archiving. Digitizing a document means that it is laid on a scanner that converts the document image into an electronic image stored in the computer database, which can be recalled by anyone with access to the database. To digitize a document, there should be a high-speed scanner available that is linked to a computer network. Documents are fed into the scanner and assigned one or more index numbers or codes, so that it will be easy to recall the correct documents from storage. For example, a document can be indexed by its purchase order number, date, or supplier number. A combination of several indexes is the best approach, since one can still recall a document, even if one does not remember the first index number. The document images are usually stored on an optical disk since it can hold enormous amounts of storage space (and digitized documents take up a lot of computer storage space). There will probably be many optical disks to provide a sufficient amount of storage, so the disks are usually stored in a â€Å"jukebox,† which gives the user access to all the data on all the storage disks. Users can then call up the images from any terminal that is linked to the network where the information is stored. There are additional advantages to using digitization of documents. Besides the reduced archiving costs, it is also possible to nearly eliminate the time needed to access documents. With a traditional archiving system, older documents must be requested from a warehousing facility that may require several days to deliver. Even in-house documents may require several minutes to an hour to locate. If customer service is important, and that service is linked to providing rapid access to data, then digitizing documents allows a company to instantly satisfy customer requests for documents by searching the computer fi les for them, no matter how old the documents may be. Another advantage to using digitization is that it avoids having to take out and replace files. Whenever someone removes a file and later returns it, there is a risk that the fi le will be misplaced. Every time a file is misplaced, it will be time-consuming to find it again. By accessing documents through a computer network, there is no need to take out or replace the document—it is always sitting in the same storage location in the computer, and cannot be lost. Yet another advantage is that multiple users can access the same file at the same time. Since it is a digital image, there is no reason why the computer cannot potentially distribute a copy of the digital document to everyone who asks for it, even if they all do so at the same time. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/accounting-homework-help

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Comparing Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos and Cruel Intention

Comparing Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos and Cruel Intentions the Movie It is my intention to compare the book, Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos, to its modern movie version, Cruel Intentions starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. I intend to examine how the original French text was modified in reference to plot, character, morals/values, and themes. I also plan to discuss how these transformations change the meaning of the story and reflect different cultural/historical contexts. There are some major differences between these two works, if only because of when they were written. First, the plots of both works need to be discussed and explained how they are different. The stories of both works have basically the same structure, until it gets toward the endings. In Dangerous Liaisons, the Vicomte de Valmont dies in a sword battle between him and Danceny. Right before he dies, though, he gives Danceny all of his letters between him and the Marquise de Merteuil and tells him to circulate them in order to ruin Merteuil’s reputation. Danceny does this and then moves away for a while. Merteuil ends up becoming disfigured from small pox and her reputation crumbles. She moves to Holland because of this. Cecile moves back into the convent and Madame de Tourvel dies of misery because of the suffering that Valmont put her through. Because Cruel Intentions is such a modernized version of this story, the ending is a lot different. Sebastian (Valmont) dies by being hit by a car because he pushed Annette (Tourvel) out of the way in order to save her life. Obviously, this is a much more modern way of dying in a movie than dying in a sword fight. Also, it shows the Valmont character as being more heroic, which in Dangerous Liaisons, he was not quite so heroic. In the movie, it does not really say what happens to Ronald (Danceny). He fights with Sebastian, and that is the last we see of him. Catherine (Merteuil), like in the book, also has her reputation ruined, but she gets humiliated in a more dramatic way (in front of the student body and faculty). Also, there is the issue of drugs. Her addiction to cocaine is revealed. The use of drugs is a common issue in today’s modern movies, and that is one of the reasons Cruel Intentions is different in terms of its cultural context. Cecile and Annette (Tourvel) worked together to produce copies of Sebast... ...haracters’ clothing is not discussed in the book, so I cannot really apply this theme to it. Lastly, I would like to discuss the issue of Libertinism. Libertinism was a movement that started in the eighteenth century; about the time Dangerous Liaisons was written. It was a movement of questioning religion and God and of scandalous affairs. The people of this movement no longer thought the world is controlled by God, but by your own actions. The characters of Valmont and Merteuil were prominent Libertines. The book is definitely an example of this movement. It completely represents the values that come from Libertinism. In conclusion, both of these pieces of work were written in their cultural and historical context. I attempted to compare the two in reference to plot, character, morals/values, and themes and explain them in their cultural and historical context. Dangerous Liaisons was considered to be a condemned piece of literature and Cruel Intentions emphasized this immorality as a modernized version of the story. Works Cited Cruel Intentions. Kumble, Roger. Columbia Pictures, 1998. Laclos, Choderlos de. Dangerous Liaisons. London: Penguin Classics, 1961.

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

History and Treatment Recommendations of a Substance Abusing Individual Essay

Chemical Use Assessment/History and Treatment Recommendations Upon careful review of Jay W’s case study, a client who is potentially suffering from a substance abuse disorder, it is deemed necessary to examine his history, compose a chemical use assessment, and devise a recommended treatment plan that will determine his clinical needs. Upon assessing the client, it is vital that he be examined holistically for better recovery results. Considering his spiritual, genetic, and psychosocial conditions will help to ensure a more accurate analysis of his current situation. Only then can it be determined if Jay W is in use, abuse, or an addictive cycle. Reason for Assessment During the case study of Jay W. it is noted that he was referred to my office by his parents for a clinical assessment. Once a commendable student with excellent grades, his grades began to dwindle after reaching college. He eventually failed his first year of college as a result of his poor grades. Jay’s parents Don W. who is a neurosurgeon and his mother Beth W. who is a research scientist, is seeking help for their son because they are concerned that his heavy drinking is the cause of his flunking. They believe that if he does not get help, it could very well damage his future goals of becoming a chemical engineer. Sources of Information During the verbal intake of Jay W.’s case, his father Don W. and his mother Beth W. were present along with Jay W., to provide all of the details of his need for assessment. Secondary sources that has been carefully reviewed and used in making a determination includes, Doweiko, H. E. (2012). Concepts of chemical dependency (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. May, G. G. (1991). Addiction & grace: Love and spirituality in the healing of addictions. New York: HarperOne, Clinton, T., & Hawkins, R. (2009). The quick-reference  guide to biblical counseling: Personal and emotional issues. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. Hawkins, R. (2009). Theology and Addiction www.libertyuniversity.edu, Clinton, T. (2009). Addiction and Recovery www.libertyuniversity.edu. Background Information Jay W. was born May 2, 1994, to Don and Beth W. The pregnancy was reportedly normal with no complications to the labor and delivery. Jay W. met all his developmental milestones early and was described as an advanced baby. Jay reportedly excelled in school with needing very little effort to maintain a straight-A report card, even in the gifted and talented program. The current school year, he flunked out of his first year in college. His parents are concerned about his drinking and how it appears to be interfering with his aspirations of being a chemical engineer. He states that he does not believe his drinking is the issue with his grades in college. Instead he assumes that boredom is the sole reason that his grades are failing. He also adds that his professors do not really know as much as they think they do. He even admits sometimes he just does not feel like going to class because it is â€Å"dumb.† As stated by his parents, Jay began drinking at the age of 12 years old. He totaled his first vehicle two weeks after his sixteenth birthday. Jay lost his driver’s license at that time and was charged with a DUI. Shortly after, Jay and both of his parents began attending AA together, but Jay dropped out after 3 months. Jay states he stopped going because, â€Å"all they talk about is war stories.† Jay does admit to blackouts, drinking more than he intends to, and does seem to recognize that many of his friends have similar drinking patterns as he. He also reports a recent break up with his girlfriend of 2 years. He states he truly loves this girl, but she broke up with him because â€Å"she doesn’t like my friends.† He reports spending an average of $75 a week on beer, and his money does not always last until the end of the month. He attributes that to his parents not giving him enough money. He states they only give him $1,000 a month. Jay states he is willing to come to counseling but does not think he has a drinking problem, but he would like to figure out how to â€Å"win† his girlfriend back. Current Status Out of reluctance, Jay has decided to proceed with obtaining clinical treatment. He realizes that if he doesn’t, his parents will no longer fund his college tuition. He also admits to currently drinking at least a 12 pack of beer on the weekends. He qualifies his actions by mentioning that his friends assists him with drinking the beer. He also does admit that his weekends sometimes start on Thursdays and don’t end until Mondays. He states that he does not believe his drinking is the issue with his grades in college. He states he just gets bored in classes and his professors do not really know as much as they think they do. He states sometimes he just does not feel like going to class because it is â€Å"dumb.† Jay does admit to blackouts, drinking more than he intends to, and does seem to recognize that many of his friends have similar drinking patterns as he. Indicators of Use/Abuse/Dependency Addiction can manifest in the form of obsessive or compulsive behaviors. Overtime, over indulgence can cause a dependency to obtain more of the physical or chemical substance. Behaviors that can produce fear and/or excitement are factors that can lead to addictive behaviors (Doweiko, 2012). When there is an addiction, usually a manifestation of withdrawal symptoms will be evidenced when the source of addiction is absent. Abuse is usually evidenced when a substance is taken in disregard for directions or one’s well-being (Doweiko, 2012). Attitudes and Behavior After careful review of Jay W.’s objective data found in his case study, it is apparent that Mr. W is in denial about his drinking problem. He appears reluctant to obtain treatment and is nonchalant in his attitude and behavior. He admittingly says he stopped attending AA because, â€Å"all they talk about is war stories.† Upon further subjective analysis, it seems that my client views his drinking with an â€Å"everybody else is doing it mentality.† This is evidenced by his reference to drinking as a â€Å"typical teenage behavior† as well as his assertion that his parents overreacted to his suspended license because he has several friends who has lost theirs also as if it’s a â€Å"normal† thing to do. He also seems to be irresponsible for his actions and constantly shifts blame on others for his current problems. He blames his parents for not giving him enough money instead of focusing on  the fact that he is spending at least 75$ a week on beer. He also shifts the blame of his failing school on the inability of his professors to engage him cognitively and even claims that the classes are â€Å"dumb.† Jay W. appears saddened by the breakup with his girlfriend of 2 years and sincerely wants to â€Å"win† her back. As Dr. Clinton states in Addictions and Recovery â€Å"the tragedy of addiction is that is destroys, individuals, families, and friendships† (2009). Social Functioning Drinking appears to be a social activity for Jay W. he states that his friends assist him with drinking the 12 pack case of beer that he usually buys on the weekend. He also has mentioned that several of his friends have lost their licenses, implying that it is also a result of obtaining DUI’s. Jay goes even further by acknowledging the fact that many of his friends have similar drinking patterns as he does. Apparently his ex-girlfriend of two years had many complaints about the â€Å"bad† company that he was keeping. Jay doesn’t take heed and loses her through a breakup instead. According to Doweiko, the consumption of alcohol can interfere with one’s social relationships by making preexisting one’s worse (2012). This is due to an adverse effect on judgment which causes a lack of control of one’s behavior. Irritability, black outs, and lying are only a few of the manifestations of alcohol addiction. The Psychosocial Models of Substance Use D isorders is another type of model of addiction. It is believed to be closely linked to the medical model (Doweko, 2012). It is proposed that addictions are â€Å"learned behavior, poor psychosocial functioning, or the result of maladaptive thinking† (Doiewko, 2012, p. 345), all in which are manifestations of a biological dysfunction. Occupational Functioning Jay W., although obviously an intelligent guy (evidenced by his excellent grades in the gifted and talented program), has just flunked out of his first year of college. His future career goals are dwindling because of the negative choices that he is making. Booze and negative social relationships have become distractions that steered him off the path of success that he once embarked upon. A repetitive cycle of partying Thursday till Monday and trying to maintain normalcy (crashing is also an option) Tuesday and Wednesday is ongoing. It is possible that he is traveling down the road of  addiction. Those who are bound by abuse can live unfocused and disoriented lives. Over time, this can lead to divorce, job loss, and even the loss of child custody. Although drug abuse may be a one-time event, if one is not careful, the behavior can lead one down the path of addiction as in Jay’s case. It appears that he have a natural proclivity towards abuse and addiction because his father Don also had a drinking problem. Dr. Clinton tells us in the video presentation that some of the effects of addiction includes: â€Å"control problems, compulsiveness, narrowing focus, denial, tolerance and withdrawal† (Clinton, 2009). We see many of these components in Jay’s occupational functioning. Financial Aspects When examining Jay W’s financial condition, it is obvious that he is mismanaging his money. His parents was giving him a 1,000 monthly stipend, and he blew at least $75 per week of it on beer. His excessive spending habits have created a deficit towards necessary items. Instead of accepting responsibility for misappropriating funds, he blames his parents for not giving him enough money. Alcohol abuse often tends to cause make financial problems worse or either create new ones. Sadly, not only the abuser can suffer financially, but oftentimes his or her immediate family suffers as well. This usually occurs when monetary restrictions are placed on the abuser/addict to control his or her spending. This can force the abuser to start borrowing elsewhere, stealing and/or selling others belongings to obtain money so that the addicted habit can be sustained (Doweko, 2012). Familial Relationships The medical model of substance use disorders (SUD) have suggested that the dysfunction have occurred on either a cellular or molecular level and that one is biologically predisposed to alcoholism when he or she is exposed to certain environments (Doweko, 2012). Jay W. has been exposed to alcohol through his father Don who is a neurosurgeon. Jay perhaps saw how he was able to get drunk and yet go to work and carry on a seemingly normal life. Don was described by his wife Beth as a â€Å"functional alcoholic,† displaying heaving drinking patterns and binge drinking when he was not on call. Jay’s parents seems to be very supportive of him though. His father was willing to give up drinking and both he and his wife joined AA along with Jay. Even  when he dropped out after 3 months, they continued going to both AA and Al-Anon. It also appears that Jay W. has a genetic predisposition of alcohol abuse/addiction. Both Beth and Don have fathers that were alcoholics. Various gen es have been identified by researchers and believed to have an influence in predisposing individuals to substance use disorders. Jay W. familial relationship is starting to reveal the beginning stages of strain. He is claiming that they are overreacting and also accuses them of not giving them enough money. Often, family members of an alcohol abuser/addict report feelings of fear, shame, grief or other negative emotion when dealing with him or her (Doweiko, 2012). When the addict is confronted about their drinking behavior, conflict typically arises causing the familial relationship to be strained. Legal History Jay W is starting to have run in’s with the law. According to his parents, he totaled his vehicle two weeks after his 16th birthday. This incident caused the police to get involved. Jay inevitably was charged with a DUI and his driver’s license was revoked. His buddies seem to have frequent encounters with law enforcement. Jay has started to defend his and his friends’ behaviors and suggest that it’s typical. Jay is â€Å"destined to misunderstand the story [he] finds himself in† (Clinton & Hawkins, 2009) he has become irrational in his behaviors by accusing his parents of overreacting to his license being revoked. Health History Jay W. seems to have a pretty clean health history. Thus far, no incidents have been reported. When he was born on May 2, 1991 there were no complications to the labor and delivery. He was considered very advanced for his age due to the fact that he had met all his developmental milestones early. Alcoholism can cause both short-term and long-term problems. Some of the short-term manifestations includes diarrhea, poor coordination and judgment, insomnia, as well as stomach problems (Doweiko, 2012). Some of the long-term problems includes: liver problems, cirrhosis of the liver, mental disorders, malnutrition, impotence, among a host of others (Doweiko, 2012). Spiritual History The spiritual model of addiction assumes that addiction is derived from a sickness of one’s spirit that has possibly manifested in a physical manner. It is mankind’s way of searching for something to feel a void and escape pain and or discontentment that can often come with daily living (Doweiko, 2012). It is Jay’s first year in college. It’s possible that he wants to fit in and gain the approval of his peers instead of being a loner. Acceptance and the need to feel â€Å"cool† and included seems to have taken precedent over anything else. It’s how he gains his identity. He gets involved with the wrong group and starts being influenced by their deviant ways. Now, he’s saddened by the fact that his girlfriend has broken up with him. He has also just flunked out of his first year of college. All of these â€Å"rock-bottom† experiences can easily trigger the addiction cycle. It is characterized by: pain, hitting bottom, seeking rel ief, use or do, feeling good, crashing, cycles back to pain, and then tolerance. It is obvious that Jay W. is starting to undergo this cycle of addiction. Alcohol’s deceptive illusion of giving Jay control and euphoria keeps him on the wheel. Diagnostic Impressions From all that has been gleaned from Jay W’s case study, it is safe to say that he is â€Å"at risk† for developing a substance use disorder. He is clearly on his way of having a drinking problem. Although he is displaying early problem alcohol usage if he is not careful, he could very well develop an addictive disorder. While evaluating Jay W to get a better diagnostic impression, it is necessary that I use the Psychopathy Checklist Revised (PCL-R) test on the client (Hawkins, 2009). This test is composed of three categories of assessment: 1.) interpersonal or affective defects; 2.) social deviance; and 3.) additional items such as unstable relationships, etc (Hawkins, 2009). The PCL-R Test will provide a better analysis of root causes of the client’s delinquent acts as well as to help identify prevailing risk factors. By identifying these risk factors, intervention strategies can be developed to counteract these risk factors. The following are a list of dynamic risk factors that has been identified and needs addressing: problem solving/impulsivity poor social/family relationships antisocial associates/attitudes alcohol & substance abuse Recommendations Based on the risk factors identified, the following recommendations have been made for Jay W.: Problem solving/impulsivity Habitually, Jay W. will be expected to attend group therapy where he will learn to think through decisions before moving impulsively. He will be given various scenarios in which he will have to explain how he should handle those situations appropriately. Role-playing will be a part of his therapy. For example, instead of not going to class because they are â€Å"boring,† he can try to get in more advanced classes if they are available. It could be that he’s bored because he is not being challenged enough. He will be expected to work through all possible options and their consequences before making a decision. Poor social/family relationships Since Jay W. ex-girlfriend seems to be a good influence on him, their relationship should be encouraged. A relationship coach will be provided to assist him with maintaining healthy relationships. Hopefully, if all goes well, he will do what it takes to â€Å"win† her back (hanging around more positive people). Antisocial associates/attitudes Jay W. will have access to a mentor who will confront his antisocial behaviors and attitudes and challenging him to participate in healthy functions and associating with positive people. The mentor will do habitual check-ins with the client and provide one on one time when needed to help him work through his feelings. Alcohol Abuse Frequent alcohol tests will be conducted on the client. If at any point alcohol is found in his system, he will be required to attend an alcohol rehabilitation program. According to Dr. Hawkins, recovery is an inside out issue requiring the Holy Spirit (Hawkins, 2009). In order for Jay W to function optimally, his â€Å"human will must act in concert with divine will.† (May, 1991, p.178). He needs to have a divine encounter with God so that he can know who he is through Christ. In Addiction and Grace it is stated that â€Å"the alignment of our will with God’s must happen at a heart level† (May, 1991, p.178). Jay must first admit that he has a problem and needs help. References Clinton, T. (2009). Addiction and Recovery www.libertyuniversity.edu. Clinton, T., & Hawkins, R. (2009). The quick-reference guide to biblical counseling: Personal and emotional issues. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books. Doweiko, H. E. (2012). Concepts of chemical dependency (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Hawkins, R. (2009). Theology and Addiction www.libertyuniversity.edu May, G. G. (1991). Addiction & grace: Love and spirituality in the healing of addictions. New York: HarperOne,