Business/Economics 255 Fall 2012

Managerial Statistics
Instructor: Dr. Chunming (Victor) SHI
Office:
Peters 2042
E-mail:
cshi@wlu.ca
Telephone: 519-884-0710 X2299

Teaching Assistants:
Eric Poon:
poon7530@mylaurier.ca
Maryam Hafezi:
hafe1390@mylaurier.ca
Alex Lun:
lunx2090@mylaurier.ca
Hossein Zolfagharinia: zolf1380@mylaurier.ca

1. Times and Locations of Lectures, Labs and Office Hours

Monday

Tuesday

10amnoon
1-2:20pm
2:303:50pm

Lecture
SBE1220
Sections C,F
Lecture
SBE1220
Sections B1,K

4-5:20pm
5:306:50pm
7-8:20pm

Lab (optional)
2C3

Lecture
1E1
Sections B2,E,G,H,N
Lecture
1E1
Sections D,J,L,M
Lab (optional)
2C3

Wednesday
Office Hours
Peters 2042
Lecture
SBE1220
Sections C,F
Lecture
SBE1220
Sections B1,K

Lab (optional)
2C3

Thursday

Lecture
1E1
Sections B2,E,G,H,N
Lecture
1E1
Sections D,J,L,M
Lab (optional)
2C3

2. Course Description
The ability to extract useful information from data is one of the most important, and
marketable, skills a student of business or economics can acquire. This course is an
introduction to the theory, and more importantly, the methods used.
The course is divided into three roughly equal parts. In the first part, students will learn
how to describe, summarize, and visualize data sets. We will discuss and make use of
some of the mathematics of probability, and introduce those probability distributions that
are most important for theory and practice.
With the background from the first part in place, the course moves to the second part, in
which we work through some of the concepts of statistical inferencewhat can be
inferred from limited data sets about the rest of the world. We introduce and discuss
principles and methods that will be encountered repeatedly, in different forms, in the
third part of the course.
1

In the third part of the course, we put what has been learned in the first two parts into
practice. We will discuss tests for differences among two samples (useful for separating
and segmenting markets, among other applications), and introduce tests for differences
among more than two samples (one-way Analysis of Variance). We turn next to
estimates and tests of relationships among two variables (Simple Regression and
Correlation), and relationships between a single variable of interest and a collection of
possibly related variables (Multiple Regression).
3. Textbook and Websites
Black, Chakrapani and Castillo, Business Statistics for Contemporary Decision Making
(Canadian edition), Wiley, 2010.
You can choose how you buy this textbook:
Option 1: Purchase a hard copy from the WLU Bookstore. Each hard copy, at no extra
cost, comes with a registration code. With this code, you have access to a WileyPLUS
website: http://edugen.wileyplus.com/edugen/class/
cls292247/. This website provides you with the full textbook online, study aids,
summaries, practice questions, exercises and self-tests.
Option 2: Purchase a registration code only to access the WileyPLUS website.
For this course, we will also extensively use a MyLearningSpace website, which will be
used for communication (e.g., announcements) and distribution of course materials (e.g.,
lecture notes). You are responsible for regularly checking out the MyLearningSpace
website.
4. Student Evaluation

Clicker Mark
Online Assignments
Midterm Exam
Final Exam
Extra Credit

WithClicker Option
5%
25%
30%
40%
3%

WithoutClicker Option
0%
25%
30%
45%
3%

At the end of the term, the final course mark of each student will be the higher of two
candidate marks, one calculated based on the WithClicker option and the other on the
WithoutClicker option. In other words, the option giving you a better course mark will be
selected automatically for you.

4.1 Clicker Mark

Clickers will be used to facilitate classroom learning. Both new and old versions of
clickers should work. To accommodate different learning styles, two options are
provided, as detailed below.
Under the WithClicker option, clicker marks will be 5% of your final course mark. After
week 1, you are responsible for bringing your clicker to every class and ensuring that
the batteries work. For each class after week 1, n 3 clicker questions will be posed. If
you answer 75%* n (round up) questions, correctly or not, you will get 3 participation
marks. In addition, if you answer 2 questions correctly, you will get 2 performance
marks. So you will get up to 5 marks for each class. At the end of the term, your final
click mark will be the average of the best 16 class clicker marks. The lowest scores will
not count to allow for absences (including illness) or forgotten/malfunctioning clickers.
Under the WithoutClicker option, you can still participate in class using clickers.
However, all of your clicker marks will NOT count for your final course mark. Instead,
the weight of your final exam will be 45%, 5% higher than that under the WithClicker
Option.
To ensure the WithClicker option is always available, you are required to register your
clicker online via MyLearningSpace (https://mylearningspace.wlu.ca). When you login
you will see a course called Clicker Registration Fall 2012. To register your clicker,
follow these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Enter the Clicker Registration Fall 2012 course by clicking on the title
From the homepage, click on the Click here to register your clicker link
Begin the quiz by clicking the Start Quiz link
Enter your 8-character serial number (located on the back of your clicker, under
the barcode) into the text box. SAVE YOUR ANSWER and click Go To
Submit Quiz then click on Submit Quiz

Please note: Failure to register your clicker in this way may result in loss of clicker
marks. You MUST complete the quiz to have your clicker marks assigned to you. If you
registered your clicker in previous terms, you MUST register it again for this term.
You will be able to confirm your clicker registration within the Clicker Registration
Fall 2012 area in MyLearningSpace. Please watch the News for information on when
and how to do this. Please direct any questions about this process or about clickers
in general to clickers@wlu.ca. A clicker troubleshooting station is available at the
help desk in the library.
Clicker Impersonation is a violation of Lauriers policies and regulations on
Academic Integrity

4.2 WileyPLUS Online Assignments

Online assignments will be posted on the course WileyPlus wesite:
http://edugen.wileyplus.com/edugen/class/
cls292247/. Each assignment consists of 10 to 15 multiple-choice questions. Students can
have TWO attempts for each quiz question. Students are to complete each quiz by the due
date and time (listed in the Course Chronology section). Submissions will not be
accepted after the deadline for any reason.
4.3 Midterm Exam
There will be a single midterm exam. Its time and locations are to be announced in class
and posted to the course MyLearningSpace website. If a student expects to be unable to
write the mid-term examination on the date scheduled, the instructor must be informed
before the examination date.
Students who (a) miss the midterm exam due to (documented) illness, or (b) have
obtained permission to miss the exam due to scheduling conflicts, will have the weight
(30%) of the missed examination added to the weight of the final exam.
Due to the difficulty of scheduling proctors, rooms, and times, there will be no
deferred midterms.
4.4 Final Exam
The final exam for the course is scheduled by the Registrars Office. Students who cannot
write the exam at the scheduled time must submit a petition in order to obtain permission
to write a deferred final. It is the policy of the School of Business and Economics that
such permission cannot be granted by individual instructors.
4.5 Extra Credit (Tentative)
You are encouraged to help make learning statistics a fun process. To this ends, you will
be given extra credit for finding/making interesting/funny materials related to the course
materials. You can choose ONE of the following three options.
1. You work independently and find/make ten jokes. You will get up to 1% extra
credit.
2. Up to two of you work as a group and find an interesting/significant application.
You will write a mini case about it. Each of you will get up to 3% extra credit.
3. Up to four of you work as a group and make a funny video. Each of you will get
up to 3% extra credit.

5. Labs
Labs are an important part of the course but attendance at labs is optional.
Each lab may have 2 portions: a directed portion in which a TA will summarize/review
the material covered and/or work on example problems, and an undirected portion in
which the TA will answer students questions.
6. Class Conduct Policy
The course material can be difficult, and some (controlled, private, and discreet)
conversing among students during class is expected. However, conversations that disrupt
the class, or disturb others, will not be tolerated. Please demonstrate respect for others in
the class.
Students with special needs are advised to contact Laurier's Accessible Learning
Centre for information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged
to review the Calendar for information regarding all services available on campus.
7. Course Chronology (Subject to Change)
1.1
1.2
1.3
2.1
2.2
3.1
3.2
3.4
3.5

Week 1: Sept 10-13

Lectures 1&2
Statistics in Business
Basic Statistical Concepts
Data Measurement
Frequency Distributions
Graphical Depiction of Data (Histograms only: p27-29)
Measures of Central Tendency: Ungrouped Data (skip Percentiles and Quartiles)
Measures of Variability: Ungrouped Data
Measures of Shape (Skewness only: p87-88)
Descriptive Statistics on the Computer

4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7

Week 2: Sept 17-20

Lectures 3&4
Introduction to Probability
Methods of Assigning Probabilities
Structure of Probability (skip Counting the Possibilities)
Marginal, Union, Joint and Conditional Probabilities
Addition Laws
Multiplication Laws
Conditional Probability
Online Assignment #1:
(Weeks 1&2)

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Sept 20, 9:00 PM

Sept 30, 9:00 PM

4.8
4.9
5.2
5.3

Week 3: Sept 24-27

Revision of Probabilities: Bayes Rule
Discrete versus Continuos Distributions
Describing a Discrete Distribution
Binomial Distribution
Online Assignment #2:
(Week 3)

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Week 4: Oct 1-4

6.1 Uniform Distribution
5.4 Poisson Distribution
6.4 Exponential Distribution
6.2 Normal Distribution

Online Assignment #3:

(Week 4)

7.1
7.2
7.3
Note:

Sept 27, 9:00 PM

Oct 7, 9:00 PM
Lectures 7&8

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Oct 4, 9:00 PM
Oct 14, 9:00 PM

Week 5: Oct 10-11

Lecture 9
Sampling (p252-253)
Sampling Distribution of x (skip Sampling from a Finite Population)
Sampling Distribution of p
Oct. 8 is the Thanksgiving Day. As a result, Tuesday (Oct. 9) classes will be
cancelled to keep the MW and TR classes synchronized with each other.

Online Assignment #4:

(Week 5)

8.1
8.2
8.3
8.5

Lectures 5&6

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Oct 11, 9:00 PM

Oct 21, 9:00 PM

Week 6: Oct 15-18

Lectures 10&11
Estimating the Population Mean Using the z Statistic (skip Finite Correction Factor)
Estimating the Population Mean Using the t Statistic
Estimating the Population Proportion
Estimating Sample Size
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Coverage: Materials Covered during Weeks 1-5
Time: To Be Announced
Locations: To Be Announced

Week 7: Oct 22-25

Lectures 12&13
Introduction to Hypothesis Testing
Testing Hypotheses about a Population Mean: Using the z Statistic (skip Testing the
Mean with a Finite Population)
9.3 Testing Hypotheses about a Population Mean: Using the t Statistic ( Unknown)
9.4 Testing Hypotheses about a Proportion
9.1
9.2

Online Assignment #5:

(Week 7)

10.1
10.2
10.3
10.4

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Nov 1, 9:00 PM
Nov 11, 9:00 PM

Week 9: Nov 5-8

Lectures 16&17
Introduction to Design of Experiments
The Completely Randomized Design (One-Way ANOVA)
Chi-Square Goodness-of-Fit Test
Contingency Analysis: Chi-Square Test of Independence
Online Assignment #7:
(Week 9)

12.1
12.2
12.3
12.4
12.5
12.6
12.7

Oct 25, 9:00 PM

Nov 4, 9:00 PM

Week 8: Oct 29-Nov 1

Lectures 14&15
Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Intervals about the Difference in Two Means
Using the z Statistic
Hypothesis Testing and Confidence Intervals about the Difference in Two Means:
Independent Samples and Population Variances Unknown
Statistical Inferences for Two Related Populations
Statistical Inferences about Two Population Proportions, p1 p2

Online Assignment #6:

(Week 8)

11.1
11.2
16.1
16.2

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Nov 8, 9:00 PM
Nov 18, 9:00 PM

Week 10: Nov 12-15

Lectures 18&19
Correlation
Introduction to Simple Regression Analysis
Determining the Equation of the Regression Line
Residual Analysis
Standard Error of the Estimate
Coefficient of Determination
Hypothesis Tests of Slope of the Regression Model and Testing the Overall Model
Online Assignment #8:
(Week 10)

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Nov 15, 9:00 PM

Nov 25, 9:00 PM

Week 11: Nov 21-22

Lecture 20
12.8 Estimation
12.9 Using Regression to Develop a Forecasting Trend Line
12.10 Interpreting the Output
Note: Monday (Nov. 19) and Tuesday (Nov. 20) classes will be cancelled because
Prof. Shi will be in the USA for the DSI annual conference.

Online Assignment #9:

(Week 11)

13.1
13.2
13.3
13.4

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Nov 22, 9:00 PM

Dec 2, 9:00 PM

Week 12: Nov 26-29

Lectures 21&22
The Multiple Regression Model
Significance Tests of the Regression Model and its Coefficients
Residuals, Standard Error of the Estimate, and R2
Interpreting Multiple Regression Computer Output

Online Assignment #10:

(Week 12)

AVAILABLE:
CLOSES:

Nov 29, 9:00 PM

Dec 9, 9:00 PM

FINAL EXAMINATION
Coverage: All materials covered throughout the term
Time and Location: To be Announced