The University of Texas at Dallas

Global Leadership Executive MBA Program

OPRE 6301: Quantitative Methods for Business Decision Making

Note: also known as Quantitative Introduction
Fall 2007: October 15 – December 16, 2007

Professor Contact Information

Kurt Beron Phone: (972) 883.2929 Fax: (972) 883.6164

Carolyn Reichert Phone: (972) 883.2726 (W) Fax: (972) 883.6164

Course Manager (972) 867.7088 (H)
E-Mail: Use Blackboard e-mail
Office Location: SM 1.506
Office Hours: By appointment

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

There is no pre-requisite for this class. While a strong mathematical background is not assumed,
we will make use of basic algebra and graphs throughout the course.

Course Description

This course provides a broad introduction to the principles and techniques of data analysis and
statistical inference. The objective is to increase understanding of the use and difficulties of
statistical analysis in a business environment. The emphasis is on content mastery, critical
thinking, and demonstrated ability to apply specific area concepts to business situations.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

• Use descriptive statistics and probability in evaluating data

• Use distributions and confidence intervals, particularly the normal distribution to describe data
• Use hypothesis testing to make conclusions about data
• Recognize regression analysis techniques

Text: Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel, 5th ed.

Levine, Stephan, Krehbiel and Berenson, Prentice Hall, 2008

Ancillary: Student Solutions Manual for Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel, 5th ed.
Levine, Prentice Hall, 2008

Other: The web site for the textbook is at http://www.prenhall.com/levine/.

Microsoft Excel will be used extensively throughout the course. We will rely heavily
on PhStat2.7, the Excel add-on that comes with the textbook. This site also lists
the errata associated with the text. Updates for PhStat can be found at
http://www.prenhall.com/phstat/.

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Schedule of Assignments

Retreat
Assignment: Install PhStat on your computer and laptop.
Read chapters 1 and 2.
Read the Wall Street Journal Article “Tracking Terror’s Rising Toll”

Retreat: Introduction
Retreat Dates: August 10
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Week 1: Introduction, Data Collection, and Presenting Data in Tables and Charts
Dates: October 15 – October 21
Lecture: Audio File 1 with slides – Lecture 1
Audio File 2 with slides – Lecture 2
Readings: Chapters 1 and 2 in the text

Plan ahead: Individual written Assignment #1 due October 28

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Week 2: Numerical Descriptive Measures

Dates: October 22 – October 28
Lecture: Audio File 3 with slides – Lecture 3
Readings: Chapter 3 in the text

Assignment: Individual Assignment #1

Due date: Individual assignment #1 posted to Digital Drop Box by October 28 at
midnight CST
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Week 3: Basic Probability and Decision Making

Dates: October 29 – November 4
Lecture: Audio File 4 with slides – Lecture 4
Audio File 17 with slides – Lecture 17

Readings: Chapter 4 sections 4.1, 4.2, and 4.4

Chapter 17 sections 17.1 and 17.2
Plan ahead: Individual written Assignment #2 due November 11
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Week 4: Discrete Probability Distributions and the Normal Distribution
Dates: November 5 – November 11
Lecture: Audio File 5 with slides – Lecture 5
Audio File 6 with slides – Lecture 6

Readings: Chapter 5 sections 5.1, 5.3, and 5.4

Chapter 6 sections 6.1 – 6.4

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Assignment: Individual Assignment #2
Due date: Individual assignment #2 posted to Digital Drop Box by November 11
midnight CST
_______________________________________________________________

Week 5: Sampling, Sampling Distributions and Confidence Interval Estimation

Dates: November 12 – November 18
Lecture: Audio File 7 with slides – Lecture 7
Audio File 8 with slides – Lecture 8
Readings: Chapter 7
Chapter 8 sections 8.1 – 8.4, and 8.6

Plan ahead: Individual written Assignment #3 due December 2

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Week 6: Fundamentals of Hypothesis Testing: One-Sample Tests

Dates: November 19 – November 25
Lecture: Audio File 9 with slides – Lecture 9
Readings: Chapter 9

Plan ahead: Individual written Assignment #3 due December 2

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Week 7: Hypothesis Testing: Two-Sample Tests and ANOVA

Dates: November 26 – December 2
Lecture: Audio File 10 with slides – Lecture 10
Audio File 11 with slides – Lecture 11
Readings: Chapter 10
Chapter 11 pages 420 – 429 and the ANOVA assumptions on p. 431

Assignment: Individual Assignment #3

Due date: Individual assignment #3 posted to Digital Drop Box by December 2 midnight
CST
_______________________________________________________________

Week 8: Chi-Square Tests and Nonparametric Tests

Dates: December 3 – December 9
Lecture: Audio File 12 with slides – Lecture 12
Readings: Chapter 12 sections 12.1 – 12.3, and 12.5

Plan ahead: Individual written Assignment #4 due December 16

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Week 9: Simple Linear Regression and an
Introduction to Multiple Regression
Dates: December 10 – December 16
Lecture: Audio File 13 with slides – Lecture 13
Audio File 14 with slides – Lecture 14
Readings: Chapter 13 sections 13.1 – 13.5 and 13.7 – 13.9
Chapter 14 section 14.1 and pages 577-578

Assignment: Individual Assignment #4

Due date: Individual assignment #4 posted to Digital Drop Box by December 16
midnight CST

Evaluations: Course Evaluations due December 16

________________________________________________________________

Additional Information:

The Student Solutions Manual contains the answers to the even number problems in the textbook.
(The back of the textbook also contains some of the even number answers, but the Student
Solutions Manual is more detailed). I would expect you to pick a few of these from each chapter to
work on independently from the class.

Grading Policy and Evaluation

Grading Formula

Individually Written Assignments 100%

One assignment at 10%
Three assignments at 30% each

Readings are given in the Assignment Schedule. Note that the readings are for the body of the
chapters, and you are expected to study the relevant Excel procedures for the topics for the week.
Each chapter has an appendix that is entitled “Excel Handbook.” These appendices, except for
chapter 1, are optional.

The assignments consist of four individual problem sets. Each problem set will be posted on
Blackboard and due on the due date by midnight central time. The problem sets are open book,
open notes. With the exception of assignment 1, the material will focus on the topics covered over
a two to three week period.

Assignment 1 measures content mastery and critical thinking related to presenting data in tables
and charts; Assignment 2 measures content mastery and critical thinking related to descriptive
statistics, probability, decision-making, and distributions; Assignment 3 measures content mastery
and critical thinking related to confidence intervals and hypothesis testing; Assignment 4 measures
content mastery and critical thinking related to hypothesis testing and regression.

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Evaluation of the assignments will be based on organization and quality as well as the actual
problem solution. Problems should be neatly laid out with the answers highlighted. For incorrect
solutions, the number of points lost depends on the number of points for the problem and the
severity of the mistake.

• A ---Excellent: Minor computational or analytical errors; understanding of all key issues; no

important omissions; concise, very well written and organized, makes appropriate use of
charts and tables. Examples of minor errors: mathematical errors, minor formula mistakes,
minor errors in applying the formula
• B---Good: Medium computational or analytical errors; understanding of most issues; well-
written and well-organized, makes appropriate use of charts and tables. Examples of
medium errors: combinations of minor errors, errors in formula choice or application,
omission of parts of a problem.
• C---Adequate: Major computational or analytical errors; understanding some issues, but
not all important aspects covered; poorly written or organized, makes inappropriate use of
charts and table. Examples of major errors: combinations of medium errors, serious errors
in formula choice or application, omission of problems.

Course & Instructor Policies

Format for Written Assignments

You are to use Excel for assignments and PhStat2 when possible.
• Submit one workbook per problem set. List the problems in order.
• Each problem should have one or more worksheets.
o If PhStat2 creates a new worksheet, it is not necessary to copy this information into
a combined worksheet for the problem.
o All answers should be highlighted in yellow or with blue font.
o Type your comments into the worksheet.
o The “Excel Handbook” sections at the end of the chapter discuss how to solve
problems without using PhStat2.
• For problems done “by hand”
o Use a Word document, single-spaced, 11 pt. Arial or Times New Roman font
o Or scan hand written work into a file. You need to pre-approve the file type for any
scanned images.
• Every assignment needs to have the individual name on the first page of the assignment
AND as part of the document name, i.e. ReichertAssign1.xls.

Submission
Assignments are submitted to the Digital Drop Box under Tools tab on Blackboard (Bb) by the due
date. Be sure to use the SEND command to submit to the Drop Box. Do not use ADD command to
post.

Late Assignments
If you need to miss an assignment deadline, you must pre-notify the instructor and course manager
before the deadline. You should provide the reason for missing the deadline and an alternative
date for submitting the assignment. The instructor and course manager must approve the
extension and the new deadline. If you do not pre-notify the instructor, the instructor may
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determine the appropriate grade deduction for the assignment.

Course Evaluation
The completion of a course evaluation is a course requirement. Students need to complete a
course evaluation form which is an electronic document whose link is located on Blackboard (Bb)
in the course area under the Information button. Students who do not submit a course evaluation
by the due date will receive an incomplete grade for the course.

UTD Policy on Cheating:

Students are expected to be above reproach in all scholastic activities. Students who engage in
scholastic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary penalties, including the possibility of failure in the
course and dismissal from the university. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to
cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are
attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act
designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." Regents'
Rules and Regulations, Part One, Chapter VI, Section 3, Subsection 3.2, Subdivision 3.22.
Professors randomly use “Turnitin.com” to screen papers against other published works on the
web to insure against plagiarism.