Assignment 1 Steps

Identify a business problem or opportunity at a company where you work or with which you are familiar. This will be a business problem you use for the individual assignments in Weeks 3-5. It should be a problem/opportunity for which gathering and analyzing some type of data would help you understand the problem/opportunity better.

Identify a research variable within the problem/opportunity that could be measured with some type of data collection.

Consider methods for collecting a suitable sample of either qualitative or quantitative data for the variable.

Consider how you will know if the data collection method would be valid and reliable.

Develop a 1,050-word analysis to describe a company, problem, and variable including the following in your submission:

Identify the name and description of the selected company.

Describe the problem at that company.

Identify one research variable from that problem. Describe the methods you would use for collecting a suitable sample of either qualitative or quantitative data for the variable (Note: do not actually collect any data).

Analyze how you will know if the data collection method would generate valid and reliable data (Note: do not actually collect any data).

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Assignment 2 Steps

Resources: Week 4 Videos; Week 4 Readings; Statistics Lab

Tutorial help on Excel^® and Word functions can be found on the Microsoft^® Office website. There are also additional tutorials via the web offering support for Office products.

Use the same business problem/opportunity and research variable you wrote about in Week 3.

Note: Do not actually collect any data; think hypothetically.

Develop a 1,050-word report in which you:

Identify which types of descriptive statistics might be best for summarizing the data, if you were to collect a sample.

Analyze which types of inferential statistics might be best for analyzing the data, if you were to collect a sample.

Analyze the role probability or trend analysis might play in helping address the business problem.

Analyze the role linear regression for trend analysis might play in helping address the business problem.

Analyze the role a time series might play in helping address the business problem.

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.

Assignment 3 steps

Prepare an 11- to 15-slide Microsoft^® PowerPoint^® presentation for the senior management team based on the business problem or opportunity you described in Weeks 3-4.

Include on the slides what you would want the audience to see (include appropriate visual aids/layout) and include in the speaker’s notes section what you would say as you present each slide. If any source material is quoted or paraphrased in the presentation, use APA citations and references.

Draw on material you developed in the Week’s 3 and 4 assignments.

Include the following in your presentation:

Introduction slide

Agenda slide

Describe the organization, with a brief description

Explain the business problem or opportunity

Describe the hypothesis

Analyze why the business problem is important

Identify what variable would be best to measure for this problem and explain why

Identify statistical methods used to analyze data

Apply data analysis techniques to this problem (tell which techniques should be used: descriptive statistics, inferential stats, probability) and explain why

Apply a possible solution to the problem/opportunity, with rationale

Evaluate how data could be used to measure the implementation of such a solution

Conclusion

Reference slide (if any source material is quoted or paraphrased throughout the presentation)

Format your assignment consistent with APA guidelines.