Business Statistics -- QM 2113 

Dept. of CIT and Economics, College of Business

Spring Semester 2004 – 2005

Instructor: Dr. Esra. Kasraie

Email: eskasra@yahoo.com

Web Page:  http://eskasraie.tripod.com

Classes: Section 001 MWF 09:00 - 09:50 am, Rm # BU 301 and

                  Section 005 TR 12:30 - 01:45  pm,  Rm # BU 301

Office hours:  MWF 08:00 - 08:45 (and by Appointments) 

Office phone: 972-3990

Office: BU, Rm # 211

Text: 

Essentials of Modern Business Statistics: With Microsoft Excel,  2nd Edition

David A. Anderson, Dennis J. Sweeney and Thomas A. Williams, 

Thomson, South - Western, 2004 (with a CD-ROM for PH Stat ). 

Student Solutions Guide:

Course Objectives:

Today, the critical issue facing managers is not a shortage or lack of information, but how to use the high volume density available information to make better decisions. In the near future statistical thinking will be as necessary as the ability to read and to write. It is from this perspective of informed decision making that we consider why a manager needs to know and understand the statistics, in addition to the following four key reasons:

1- To know how to properly present and describe information

2- To know how to draw conclusions about large populations based only on information obtained from   samples

3- To know how to improve a process of decision making

       4- To know how to obtain reliable data and /or to forecast.

This course is about analyzing data for a decision making and/or problem solving. Students are to learn analyze, interpret, and present the different type of data. Microsoft Excel is the primary tool of the analysis. So, to gain a true understanding of statistics is a major intellectual achievement, and the one that a student can truly be proud of it (knowing or learning the Microsoft Excel is vital to gain a true understanding of the course materials as well as doing the homework).

The course concentrates on the following ability areas: critical thinking, decision making, communication and information systems & technology, in addition to other competencies as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

Core Materials 

Univariate descriptive statistics:

Data types, tables, graphs and charts, numerical description of data.

Bivariate descriptive statistics:

Contingency tables, simple linear regression, and correlation analysis.

Univariate inferential statistics,

Estimation of population means, individual values, and population proportions

Testing hypotheses about a population mean and a population proportion

Probability, General probability; discrete & continuous probability distributions.

Confidence interval estimation                                                        

Confidence interval estimation of the mean, determination of sample size, estimation and sample size determination of the Finite Populations.

One-sample tests with categorical data

Class Attendance Policy:

Regular attendance is expected. The Arkansas State University’s attendance policy on Undergraduate Bulletin, 2003-2004 will be strictly followed.

Grading and Exams policy:

All Exams and Quizzes are from classes, lectures, homework, or directly of examples on the Student Solution Manual.

There will be four major exams (15% each), and One final exam           4 x 12.5 = 50%

Three or more quizzes  ( about 5% each )                                                          3 x 5 = 15%

Homework (assigned problems, about 5% for each chapter                        7 x 5  = 35%

                                                                                                                                             = 100%    

Please note that:                                                                                                

1)- There will be one exam from each part or concept (2 to 3 chapters).  One of these four exams or the one that has the lowest grade will be dropped at the end of semester. The final exam will be a comprehensive exam from the selected chapters. Students may be exempt from the final exam if they are satisfied with the all four grades of the four pre exams.

2)- All the homework problems will be announced and assigned in class.                                        

3)- Late homework will not be accepted. All homework should be submitted on the due dates, only in class.

4)- No credit will be given for plagiarized or copied homework (both homework: the copy and the one being copied from, would be given zeros grade).

5)-The instructor reserves the right to give unannounced quizzes or pop quizzes that will be averaged in with the homework grade.

6)-For some sections of text, students may be divided into groups to work on assignments together, that may be averaged with the homework or quiz grades.

Makeup Policy: 

No make-up exam will be scheduled, since one of the exams will be dropped at the end of semester.

Tentative Lectures, Quizzes, Exams and Homework Schedule: