Statistics For Business and Economics

The purpose of Statistics for Business and Economics is to give students, primarily those in the fields of business, management and economics, a conceptual introduction to the field of statistics and its many applications. The text is applications-oriented and written with the needs of the non-mathematician in mind. The mathematical pre-requisite is knowledge of algebra. Applications of data analysis and statistical methodology are an integral part of the organization and presentation of the material in the text. The discussion and development of each technique are presented in an application setting, with the statistical results providing insights to problem solution and decision-making. Although the book is applications oriented, care has been taken to provide sound methodological development and to use notation that is generally accepted for the topic being covered. Hence, students will find that this text provides good preparation for the study of more advanced statistical material. A revised and updated bibliography to guide further study is included as an appendix. The text introduces the student to the software packages of Minitab 15, SPSS/PASW 17 and Microsoft® Office Excel 2007 and emphasizes the role of computer software in the application of statistical analysis. Minitab and SPSS are illustrated as they are two of the leading statistical software packages for both education and statistical practice. Excel is not a statistical software package, but the wide availability and use of Excel makes it important for students to understand the statistical capabilities of this package. Minitab, SPSS and Excel procedures are provided in end-of-chapter sections so that instructors have the flexibility of using as much computer emphasis as desired for the course.