Unit: Concepts and Terminology of Statistics Applied to Business Decision Making
Due Date: Wed, 4/11/18
Deliverable Length: 5–8 slides with speaker notes
Assignment Objectives:
Apply methods of data aggregation and reduction to business data in a manner that reveals insight about underlying pattern and key parameters of the data set.
Determine appropriate sampling methodologies for business settings and situations.
https://class.ctuonline.edu/_layouts/MUSEViewer/MUSE.aspx?mid=10756037
Scenario
Big Data is everywhere and various businesses around the world are driven by Big Data. However, while some businesses rely on Big Data for organizational decision making, this does not mean that the implications and applications of Big Data are properly used to ensure optimal effectiveness for the organization
For this scenario, you have been appointed as the Business Analyst for Big D Incorporated charged with providing authoritative recommendations to the Board of Directors. As the Business Analyst, the recommendation you provide will be based upon data calculated from statistical appropriate formulas. Be reminded that you are not the company’s statistician yet the Business Analyst and therefore responsible for interpreting statistical data and making the appropriate recommendations.
Big D Incorporated was offered a series of business opportunities and it is your job as the Business Analyst to provide expert insight and justification for recommendations regarding these potential prospects.
Assignment Details
Big D Incorporated has a business opportunity to provide two different types of information to a new client. As the Business Analyst, you are tasked to assess the financial feasibility of this opportunity. The new client is a retailer and looking to expand their product offerings. However, they are requesting Big D Incorporated to assist in the decision-making process.
Prepare a presentation that addresses the following:
- List at least 3 qualitative attributes of outdoor sporting goods about which they might want to ask consumers. Make sure at least 1 of them is nominal.
- For each attribute that is ordinal, assign names for the endpoints of a 5 point rating scale.
- Explain the difference between nominal and ordinal data.
- Explain how nominal and ordinal data relate to a rating scale.
- List at least 2 quantitative attributes of outdoor sporting goods that market researchers might want to measure.
- Explain the difference between interval and ratio data.
- Include in your presentation the difference between a population and a sample. Do not forget about the target market.
- Note why it is important to avoid bias when conducting research (see note below).
Note: Give 2 examples of possible populations for this test.
Other notes that might help for this course:
WidgeCorp became the market leader in snack foods after acquiring a rival company, Company W. Their management style and business decision-making differed. Employees at WidgeCorp collected relevant data and through statistical analysis used this information to draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations. Company W tended to rely on the experience and judgment of its managers. For the time being, both companies are being managed separately, but within the next twelve months they will merge all management, processes, and accounting. You work for Company W and are a little nervous about this new way of working, but realize that you need to be able to present issues and recommendations with statistical verification to the WidgeCorp executives. You will also introduce and employ statistical analysis to the senior management of Company W’s various departments such as Marketing, Sales, and Production. Part of your job will be to educate Company W as well.
