AB1202
STATISTICAL AND QUANTITATIVE METHODS
__________________________________________________________________________________
Course Description and Scope
In today’s dynamic and competitive business environment, a key ability for a successful manager is
to use a knowledge-based framework to analyse and make decisions. This course introduces
students to the basic statistical and quantitative models for making informed management
decisions. It focuses on understanding the principles and developing problem- solving skills. The use
of computer-based solution tools will be emphasised throughout the course. Students will be
expected to structure business problems as decision models, solve models using the relevant
software and interpret the computer-generated solutions to address key issues. Computer
exercises, cases, examples drawn from accounting, marketing, finance, operations management and
other management functions will be widely used in the course.
Course Assessment
Case Study Write-up and Presentation
In-class Quiz
Class Participation
Final Examination (Open-Book)
Total:
10%
20%
8%
62%
100%
Textbook
McClave, Benson and Sincich (MBS)
Statistics for Business and Economics, Eleventh Edition, Pearson 2011
(ISBN 0-321-64511-1)
Anderson, Sweeney and Williams (ASW)
Special AB103 Version, Cengage Learning 2009
Adapted from An Introduction to Management Science: Quantitative Approaches to Decision
Making, 12th Edition, Thomson Southwestern 2008
(ISBN: 10-981-4253-27-8)
Proposed Lecture Schedule
Week
1
Topics
COURSE INTRODUCTION
MAKING SENSE OF DATA AND SUMMARIZING DATA
2
PROBABILITY
3
RANDOM VARIABLES AND PROBABILITY DISTRIBUTIONS
4
DECISION ANALYSIS
1
5&6
7
LINEAR PROGRAMMING
SAMPLING DISTRIBUTIONS
INFERENCE BASED ON A SINGLE SAMPLE: CONFIDENCE INTERVALS
8
RECESS
9
INFERENCE BASED ON A SINGLE SAMPLE:
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
10
INFERENCE BASED ON TWO SAMPLES:
CONFIDENCE INTERVALS AND HYPOTHESIS TESTING
11
DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS AND ANALYSIS OF VARIANCE (ANOVA)
CATEGORICAL DATA ANALYSIS
12
SIMPLE LINEAR REGRESSION
13
MULTIPLE REGRESSION AND MODEL BUILDING
14
COURSE OVERVIEW
2