Business Statistics Demystified | DeMystified

Business Statistics Demystified

Authors: Steven Kemp and Sid Kemp

Published: June 2004

eISBN: 9780071471077 0071471073 | ISBN: 9780071440240

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Part One: What Is Business Statistics?

Chapter 1 Statistics for Business

Doing Without Statistics

Statistics are Cheap

Lying with Statistics

So Many Choices, So Little Time

Math and Mystery

Where Is Statistics Used?

The Statistical Study

The Statistical Report

Quiz

Chapter 2 What Is Statistics?

Measurement

Error

Sampling

Analysis

Quiz

Chapter 3 What Is Probability?

How Probability Fits in With Statistics

Measuring Likelihoods

Three Types of Probability

Using Probability for Statistics

The Laws of Probability

Quiz

Exam for Part One

Part Two: Preparing a Statistical Report

Chapter 4 What Is a Statistical Study?

Why Do a Study?

Why Use Statistics?

What Are the Key Steps in a Statistical Study?

Planning a Study

What Are Data and Why Do We Need Them?

Gathering Data: Where and How to Get Data

Writing a Statistical Report for Business

Reading a Statistical Report

Quiz

Chapter 5 Planning a Statistical Study

Determining Plan Objectives

Defining the Research Questions

Assessing the Practicality of the Study

Preparing the Data Collection Plan

Planning Data Analysis

Planning the Preparation of the Statistical Report

Writing Up the Plan

Quiz

Chapter 6 Getting the Data

Stealing Statistics: Pros and Cons

Someone Else’s Data: Pros and Cons

Doing it Yourself: Pros and Cons

Survey Data

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Data

Quiz

Chapter 7 Statistics Without Numbers: Graphs and Charts

When to Use Pictures: Clarity and Precision

Parts is Parts: The Pie Chart

Compare and Contrast: The Bar Chart

Change: The Line Graph

Comparing Two Variables: The Scatter Plot

Don’t Get Stuck in a Rut: Other Types of Figures

Do’s and Don’ts: Best Practices in Statistical Graphics

Quiz

Chapter 8 Common Statistical Measures

Fundamental Measures

Descriptive Statistics: Characterizing Distributions

Measuring Measurement

Quiz

Chapter 9 A Difference That Makes a Difference. When Do Statistics Mean Something?

The Scientific Approach

Hypothesis Testing

Statistical Significance In Business

Quiz

Chapter 10 Reporting the Results

Three Contexts for Decision Support

Good Reports and Presentations

Reports and Presentations Before the Decision

Reports and Presentations After the Decision

Advertisements and Sales Tools Using Statistics

Quiz

Exam for Part Two

Part Three: Statistical Inference: Basic Procedures

Chapter 11 Estimation: Summarizing Data About One Variable

Basic Principles of Estimation

Single-Sample Inferences: Using Estimates to Make Inferences

Chapter 12 Correlation and Regression

Relations Between Variables

Regression Analysis: The Measured and the Unmeasured

Multiple Regression

Chapter 13 Group Differences: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Designed Experiments

Making Sense of Experiments With Groups

Group Tests

Fun With ANOVA

Chapter 14 Nonparametric Statistics

Problems With Populations

A Solution: Sturdy Statistics

Popular Nonparametric Tests

Exam for Part Three

Part Four: Making Business Decisions

Chapter 15 Creating Surveys

Planning and Design

Conducting the Survey

Interpreting and Reporting the Results

Quiz

Chapter 16 Forecasting

The Future Is Good To Know

The Measurement Model

Descriptive Statistics

Inferential Statistics

Cautions About Forecasting

Quiz

Chapter 17 Quality Management

Key Quality Concepts

Root Cause Analysis

Statistical Process Control

Quiz

Appendix A: Basic Math for Statistics

Appendix B: Answers to Quizzes and Exams

Appendix C: Resources for Learning

Index