Business Statistics (BK/IBA)
Introduction
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Introduction
Contents
• Why statistics
• Set-up of the course
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Introduction
Why statistics
• “Statistics is all that stuff with flipping coins. Why study
it for business administration?”
• Statistics is much more: it is “the study of the collection,
analysis, interpretation, presentation, and organization
of data.” (Wikipedia)
• You need theory and skills for
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marketing
business plans
logisitics and planning
risk calculations
etc.
• Two examples:
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Introduction
Why statistics
• regression analysis
• −0.12 −2.11 ∗
• ‫ < ݌‬.05
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Introduction
Why statistics
• Wilcoxon test
• paired samples
• significant
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Introduction
Why statistics
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Format:
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6 weeks of 2×2 hours of lectures
6 weeks of 2 hours tutorials
3 weeks of work groups
3 digital intermediate tests
response class in week 12
written exam (26 March)
written retake exam (21 May)
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
Week
Lecture
Tutorial
Lecture
Work group
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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Test
X (digital)
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X (response)
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X (written)
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Lectures
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main theory
slides available on the internet
be prepared, we’re running fast
no compulsory attendance (but part of the exam)
• Tutorials
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smaller groups
exercises available on the internet
prepare before class attending
class will focus on “how to solve it”
compulsory attendance
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Work groups
• smaller groups
• in computer rooms
• informal set-up: working together, asking fellow students for
help, etc.
• work on computer skills
• compulsory attendance
• Response class
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in last week before the exam (week 7)
studying old exam questions
all remaining questions and issues
no compulsory attendance (but part of the exam)
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• This an intensive course (6 ECTS = 168 hours):
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12 lectures = 24 hours
6 tutorials = 12 hours
3 works groups = 6 hours
3 digital tests = 6 hours
1 response class = 4 hours
1 exam = 2 hours
• So, work at home: 114 hours ≈ 14 hours/week = 2 hours/day
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preparing lectures
doing exercises
reading the book and extra texts
studying videos and extra resources
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Typical success rate last few years: ~50%
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too little attendance
no preparation
insufficient practicing
exclusive focus on old exams
relying on commercial support classes
• Many changes compared to last years
• new subjects (bootstrapping, etc.)
• new skills (SPSS, etc.)
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Digital tests
• using SPSS for data analysis
• Written exam
• solving statistical problems
• mix of open questions and multiple-choice questions
• Please study the VU rules for exams
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registration in advance, being in time, fraud
ID, calculators, no phones
“extra time students”
etc.
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Assessment
• 3 digital tests on computer skills, graded (absence → 0)
• lowest test grade skipped, highest test grades (ܶ௛ and ܶ௠ )
count
• written exam, graded (ܹ)
• total grade: ‫ = ܩ‬0.7 × ܹ + 0.15 × ܶ௛ + 0.15 × ܶ௠
• rounding to final grade according to faculty rules
• retake only for written exam, graded (ܹ ᇱ ) → revised total
(‫ ܩ‬ᇱ )
• final grade based on last result (so not on best result)
• after one year, the results of the digital tests will be erased
• if you fail attendance, 2 points deduction on final grade (‫)ܩ‬
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Essentials:
• book (Doane & Seward, Applied Statistics in Business &
Economics, 4/e)
• extra documents (formula sheets, extra theory, etc.)
• slides
• exercises (and answers)
• Connect (see below)
• SPSS (see below)
• links to videos, websites, etc.
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Connect
• digital learning environment of the book
• exercises & e-text
• register at https://connect.mheducation.com/class/rheijungs-bk_iba-business-statistics-2014_2015
• use access code in book
• once registered, come back by logging in at
http://connect.mheducation.com/
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• SPSS
• software for statistical analysis (widely used!)
• used during the three digital tests
• available at VU and at https://www.surfspot.nl (10 €)
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Set-up of the course
• Quite like Business Mathematics
• except for the BSA-part
• Almost everything available through course website
• see http://personal.vu.nl/R.Heijungs/QM/
• announcements through Blackboard (https://bb.vu.nl/)
• time table and rooms through Roosters
(https://roosters.vu.nl/)
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Contact:
• Content related:
• GoSoapBox (see next slide)
• the teacher of your tutorial group or work group
• the teacher of your lectures (BK: Heijungs, IBA: Franx)
• Organization related:
• the course coordinator (BK/IBA: Heijungs)
• By e-mail:
• always state your programme, year, and course (e.g., IBA1_BS)
• do not use BlackBoard’s e-mail, but your VU mail account
• At VU:
• we’re at the 11th floor with a closed corridor
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Discussion forum
• asking questions
• upvoting questions
• answering questions
• https://app.gosoapbox.com/
• BK: 472-770-407
• IBA: 362-710-887
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Introduction
Set-up of the course
• Contents
• Basics (general mathematical and quantitative skills)
• Probability (probability theory, sampling, significance)
• Parameters (estimation, confidence intervals, statistical
hypotheses tests)
• Distributions (discrete and continuous distributions)
• Association (contingency tables, regression, ANOVA)
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Introduction