FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.tutorialoutlet.com Overview This section of the assignment document contains all the information about administrative matters relating to your submission. The final section details the actual questions themselves. Where applicable, a separate set of Excel data files will also be provided which you will use to answer the Excel based questions

1. Ensure that students “have well developed critical and analytical skills and be
able to access and interpret statistics and business information”
FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT
www.tutorialoutlet.com
Overview
This section of the assignment document contains all the information about
administrative
matters relating to your submission. The final section details the actual questions
themselves. Where applicable, a separate set of Excel data files will also be provided
which
you will use to answer the Excel based questions. In some cases, you may be required
to
input data yourselves (e.g., from a newspaper article) or locate publicly available data
from
an online source. Additional questions not answered in these documents can be asked
on
the UTSOnline Discussion Board (please search before posting a new question). 2.
Role of the Assignment to Ensure Student Learning Objectives
The questions are designed to combine your theoretical and practical based knowledge
of
Business Statistics and integrate this with developing your skills in using analytical
software,
namely Microsoft Excel.
First, this assignment speaks to the assigned learning goal of Business Statistics in the
Bachelor of Business, which is to ensure that students “have well developed critical
and
analytical skills and be able to access and interpret statistics and business
information”.
The assignment considers the subject objectives (objectives 1 and 4 listed below) that
students are expected to successfully complete. These are:
1. Apply standard statistical tools in various business decision contexts within a
professionally responsible framework;
2. Apply appropriate quantitative analytical techniques to qualify, support, select and
evaluate data as information for business decision‐ making;
3. Effectively interpret and communicate results of quantitative analyses for business
decision‐ making;
4. Effectively use a computer‐ based data analysis package (i.e. Excel) to critically
analyse data.
Finally, the assignment aims to aid students in their development of desirable the
entire
range of desirable graduate attributes. Graduate attributes that will receive greatest

2. development relate to:
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Problem Solving
- Planning and Organising
- Technology Page 2 of 14 3. Marking Criteria
Each part will ask you to consider one or more weeks of lecture topic materials. The
due
date submission will follow at least a week after you have completed a lecture and a
tutorial
on these particular topics.
Each part of the assignment will contain several questions. The questions will
consider your
ability to justify your approach (e.g., why did you choose to use the median as a
measure of
central tendency) and present some information that you obtain using Excel (e.g., a
scatterplot) and in some cases make a conclusion about what you have presented (e.g.,
should the
manager launch the new product based on your analysis?).
Unless noted otherwise (e.g. some questions ask only for one word answers), the
following
criteria will be used to evaluate your assignment submission:
o Does it present a clear and well-constructed argument towards the use of this
tool, approach or measure?
o Does it present output correctly and accurately?
o Is this output easy to understand and read?
o Does it reflect a correct interpretation/conclusion about the output that has been
generated?
o Does it avoid the use of unnecessary information and presents a concise
answer with a logical flow of ideas?
o Does it communicate an answer in a suitable manner, and is it free from
spelling and grammar mistakes?
4. Submission Layout / Requirements
There is a strict upper maximum page limit of 12 pages. Your submission should not
exceed this total. Nor do we think that you should use all 12 pages.
An additional page for references is available if you need it, but it can only contain the
reference list. We will assume that any statistical techniques or formulas you are using
make
reference to the text book (Black et al.), lecture notes or some other standard Business
Statistics textbook (e.g., Berenson et al). So for this assignment only we will say there
is no
need to include references to formulas or techniques. You should not, however,
simply
paraphrase or directly quote passages that relate to theory or examples out of a text
book
without referencing – in such cases, a reference can be used. Be careful, however, that

3. you
do not use paraphrasing or quotes from textbooks too much (even if you have used a
reference) as it may appear you do not understand what you are stating.
Unnecessary information and answers that appear to be “covering all bases” will be
marked
down. Just as this would not be acceptable when submitting a report to the managing
director of a company, it will not be accepted in this assignment.
Students should not include copies of any data sets in the assignment in any format
(unless
specifically asked for). In most cases we have copies of all the necessary data – you
do not
need to provide it to us a second time.
Each submission should use the layout specified to ensure homogeneity and fairness
across
submissions. We also do this to familiarise you with a specific layout request. For
instance,
your boss may ask you to produce a report in a certain style to allow integrating with a
much
larger report – failure to do this would mean making your boss frustrated. Page 3 of 14
ANDERSON (00001898); LENNON (09101940); EINSTEIN (14031879); CURIE
(07111867); MARLEY (06021945) Your answer to each part should appear on
separate pages. We would advise using PageBreaks (ctrl-enter or Insert > Page
Break in Word) to help with this layout requirement.
In addition, student surnames and student numbers must be listed in the header on
ALL
pages on the top left of the page, as in this format used at the top of THIS PAGE. List
the
surname in capitals followed by the student number in brackets. Separate each group
member by a semi colon. First names should not be included.
A cover page SHOULD NOT be included. If you include one then it will count
towards you
page count resulting in a deduction of marks.
Layout should use the following specification for ALL pages:
[ ] Body text: Arial 11 point font or Times New Roman 12 point font
[ ] Readable size text in tables or graphs (any font size and type is acceptable for
these)
[ ] No comment boxes or text boxes
[ ] 2.54cm margins on all sides (top, bottom, right and left) (the MS Word standard)
[ ] Single-spaced
[ ] Spelling and grammar checked
[ ] Appropriately labelled and presented (e.g. size) figures and tables.
[ ] No colour printouts – greyscale or black and white only
[ ] Single sided printing only
[ ] If required, referencing using appropriate style (e.g., Harvard) - ask Librarian for
help if
required.

4. [ ] Page numbers on the bottom right of all pages
[ ] An indication of which assignment part is being attempted, along with indication of
where
each answer starts and ends. For example Q1.a, Q5.b.I, etc. There is no need to
include a copy of the question or any raw data (unless specifically requested).
[ ] Submission NOT in a plastic sleeve
[ ] Submission is stapled in the two places: the top left and bottom left (like a booklet)
[ ] Page limits (and page structure) followed
[ ] Header included as described 5. Marking Deductions Presentation Elements
Deductions of 10% for poor presentation can be made. Yes, if you do not do
something like
label a table/chart or use a different font to the one specified you will lose 10%.
Incorrect Student Names or Numbers Your assignment layout should include the
appropriate header with the surnames and
student numbers of each group member. Failure to include this header will result in an
automatic deduction of 10% for the whole group. This is on top of any previous
deductions
made on the basis of presentation.
NOTE: Failure to include (e.g., a group member’s surname is presented but number is
missing) or having one of the details incorrect (e.g. one of the digits in your student
number
is wrong) then the full 10% penalty will be applied. Page 4 of 14 Late Submissions In
turn, you are expected to meet your deadline. Do not leave this assignment to the last
minute. As such, issues with computers is not a satisfactory excuse for failing to
submit on
time. Instead, you are all encouraged to make backup/duplicates of your work
including a
photocopy of your assignment before it is handed in.
Late submissions will be accepted by delivery to the Discipline of Marketing (CB08,
Level
10) during office hours, but a deduction of 20% per day will occur. Assignments
submitted
more than five working days will not be marked. 6. Special Consideration
Students anticipating having difficulties with their assignment due to illness or
misadventure
are advised to complete an Application for Special Consideration form from UTS
Student
Admin Unit. This may be necessary to account for issues of peer evaluation etc. This
form
must be submitted to SAU, prior to the due date.
Irrespective of circumstances you should still submit the assignment even if it is
incomplete.
This will help us gauge your learning even if marking accommodations need to be
made.
As this is a group submission we are aware that several people are responsible for
your

5. submission. The group should be working far enough ahead of the deadline to
accommodate the problems (or errors) of any one member. The failure of one member
(for
whatever reason) does not constitute a good excuse for the group not submitting.
Extensions for assignments will not be granted even if you (or a member of your
group) have
applied for special consideration. At the end of the semester, a review of grades will
be
made by the subject coordinator and possible readjustment of grades will take place.
This
process will be informed by your performance in other assessments.
7. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is considered intellectual theft and, hence, penalties are in accordance with
its
seriousness. Plagiarism includes use of another persons’ work including authors (use
referencing where applicable) and other students. If you feel pressured to copy another
student's work then consider the penalties of simply delaying your submission relative
to
being reprimanded for plagiarism. Reprimands for plagiarism can be severe and may
affect
your standing within the university. Please note we check for plagiarism each
semester and
catch at least one act of plagiarism.
There is to be only ONE submission per group. No two assignments should be the
same. If
you lend your assignment out to someone else and they copy it, or you work together
but
hand in a separate assignment, you have contributed to plagiarism and will be
reprimanded.
Just because you were the one who lent the assignment and you may have not known
the
extent to which they copied your work is NO EXCUSE – you are just as much to
blame as
the person who copied your work. So, we advise that you …
DO NOT LEND OUT YOUR SOLUTIONS TO ANOTHER PERSON
OUTSIDE OF YOUR GROUP! Page 5 of 14 8. Assistance/Help with Completing the
Assignment
Several resources are available to help you complete the assignment.
UTSOnline: You can ask general questions about the assignment on the assignment
discussion board. Administrative matters can also be dealt with here. Please follow the
rules
of the discussion board before posting. We will not be providing answers in this
forum.
Instead we will provide general advice and clarification of any ambiguities arising.
DO NOT put anything resembling a solution or comment on a solution, as these posts
will be

6. deleted. DO NOT "fish" for answers, as these types of posts will be
deleted. You may also
be reprimanded on the basis of assisting others, which may be interpreted as
plagiarism.
Your text book: This text book was chosen because of its ability to discuss materials
in an
applied fashion. It also offers specific help on using Excel to do various tasks.
Other textbooks: Don't feel limited to using the prescribed text book. For instance,
there are
plenty of other books on how to do something in Excel. Some of these texts are
specifically
mentioned in the ‘other readings’ section of the subject outline.
When
coming out of the elevator lobby heading towards the student study pods, the
assignments
boxes are on the left. The box will be marked with “UTS Business School, Marketing
Discipline Group, Business Statistics 26134”.
Assignments either accidentally or deliberately submitted to another location (e.g. the
wrong
assignment box) will be deemed to have not been received and will not be marked.
Make
sure to submit to the right location. 10. Reminder about Due Dates
You can submit your assignment to the assignment box at any time prior to the time
and
date listed on the front of this document. Any benefit of an additional lecture or
tutorial for
students is negligible, as all materials required for the assignment would have been
covered
prior.
We would like to advise that students should introduce a buffer into their timeline. For
instance, you may like to think of the assignment due the week prior so that all group
members can meet at least a week before and fine tune the final submission. Time
Page 6 of 14 management is key in meeting your assessment requirements. You can
also start your
assignment before you have found all your group members – you can then compare
each
person’ interpretation of the question and settle on the most appropriate response.
11. How much is the assignment worth?
As per the subject outline, this will form 20% of your total grade. The other 75% will
be
formulated based on your performance in the mid-semester examination and final
examination.
12. How much are the exams worth?
The mid-semester examination is worth 30% of your total grade.
The final examination is worth 50% of your total grade.
You do not have to pass every assessment to pass overall. 13. Group Size

7. You will submit all parts of your assignment as a group submission, but any issues of
working in a group should be managed by yourselves.
Groups must consist of THREE, FOUR or FIVE people.
You should note that NO special allowances will be made at ALL in marking your
work
based on group size. All group members will receive the same mark for any one
submission
regardless of contribution. You should provide adequate warning to a group member
who is
not pulling their weight and let them know that they are not contributing equally.
If we receive an assignment as an individual or two persons, the individual/pair will
receive a
50% deduction on their assignment grade. So feel free to work on your own, but you
WILL
NOT pass! Likewise, if we receive an assignment with six or more persons, the group
will
receive a 50% deduction on their assignment grade.
You cannot complete the assignment by yourself. 14. Who can be in your group
Your group may consist of ANY student enrolled in Business Statistics 26134 from
any
tutorial (that is, you don't have to all be in the same tutorial group) or any day (that is,
you
may be taking class on Tuesday and they made take class on Thursday). 15. Finding
Group Members
Your tutor will NOT be assigning you to groups. It is up to you to form your own
groups in
your own time. Consider asking around your tutorial and lecture for available people.
Groups can also be formed using the ‘Find Group Members’ discussion forum
available on
UTS Online if you find your personal schedule makes it difficult to find group
members. Do
not use any group email facilities to find group members. Page 7 of 14 In using this
UTSOnline ‘Find Group Members’ discussion board facility, we would advise
noting your
lecture day and time and perhaps tutorial time to make finding group members easier.
Simply start a new post (after checking out the other posts).
For example, the appropriate standard thread heading is recommended if a group is
looking
for a new member to join an existing group:
WE REQUIRE 1 MORE MEMBER: Tue 11.30pm Lecture; 4pm Tutorial Or, if you
are a student looking to join a group, use:
I AM LOOKING FOR A GROUP: Thu 6pm Lecture; 7.30pm tutorial
With your contact details (e.g., student email) contained in the post.
Can we also request that you make a note to users on the discussion thread once a
group
member has been found. “FOUND” in the reply subject heading would be sufficient.

8. From
time to time, the online team may hide such completed posts to streamline this system.
16. Avoiding Group Contribution Issues
You are expected to resolve any group problems you are having yourselves. It is no
good
handing the assignment in and then saying that you had a group issue. Likewise, if the
group issue arises in the few evenings or weekend before the assignment it is due, then
the
group’s poor time management implies the group itself is just as much to blame for an
individual group member being unavailable than simply that individual. The
assignment
should be approached consistently by the group over the semester.
We ask that you monitor the contribution made by your other group members. This
can be
done by recording attendance at meetings, actions agreed upon and keeping
correspondence in emails.
If the group member fails to contribute then you should confront the group member
early on.
Give the person an opportunity to respond and recognise that their expectations may
not
have been aligned with the rest of the group. Explain your expectations as a group. If
the
issue still remains or cannot be resolved then indicate to the group member that their
name
will not be included on the group assignment if their behaviour is not adjusted. Again,
leaving
this decision until the week before the assignment is due is unreasonable given the
assignment is designed to be approached as a week by week exercise.
In terms of group tasks, be inclusive – calling a person with one hour’s notice or
scheduling
meetings on a weekend when a person is playing sport and then turning around and
saying
they didn’t turn up to group meetings is not fair. Organise your group to be inclusive
so that
everyone is given the opportunity to contribute.
You should recognise that contribution does not simply constitute knowledge. A
student may
simply not have the skills to be accurate in their responses or analysis. However, if
they
make an effort to construct a response to the best of their ability, this is deemed a
contribution. On the other hand, simply turning up to meetings and providing no input
through silence is not contributing.
You should help each other and we recommend that you do not leave the
responsibility of a
single question to a single individual. Let an individual manage the process (e.g.,
decides

9. when to do the analysis; collates the responses from each member) but not having a
Page 8 of 14 mechanism to check each other’s contributions nor leaving time to do
this is likely to end in
disaster. We have seen the two issues of time and responsibility ruin a project too
many
times. Take note! Rather than allocate group members a single question, we would
suggest
that each member attempts the question, a comparison is made of each attempt and
that
you discuss any differences and why they occurred. This results in a self-checking
mechanism and you are more likely to generate a better answer (hence, reflected in
your
marks) using this approach.
17. Peer Evaluation
Peer evaluation need only completed if: a) you feel someone has not made a
satisfactory
contribution, but they have been adequate warnings and opportunities to do so; or, b)
you
have been asked by the subject coordinator to do so. If you have been asked to do so
and
do not respond, we will assume that you are happy with performance of all members’
of your
group including your own.
Peer evaluation will be undertaken electronically as required. You will be asked to
indicate
each person’s contribution to the group on items such as attendance and participation
in
group discussions or meetings; contribution of ideas; quantity of work done; quality of
work
done relative to skill level.
In serious cases, a poor peer evaluation may result in the downgrading of an
individual’s
mark. This downgrading will be based on a number of factors including the group’s
comments, ratings, students’ performance in other assessments as well as the student’s
own comments about the matter. No “upgrading” will occur for members that have
contributed more than others. Please note, group issues arising at the last minute will
be
given little consideration. THIS IS THE END OF THE GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
SECTION OF THIS DOCUMENT
THE NEXT PAGE CONTAINS THE TASK YOU NEED TO COMPLETE Page 9 of
14 Business Statistics 26134
Autumn 2017
Group Assignment – The Task
The purpose of this assignment is to improve your understanding in choosing between
and
using methods to assess the relationship between variables and make comparisons

10. across
different segments. It will develop your skills in being able to critically think and
enhance
your analytical skills.
Specifically, we want you to access the Excel database provided on UTSOnline that
describes
400 mobile phone users and their experiences in shopping online using a range of
different
electronic devices. We then want you to investigate using the various tools you have
been
exposed to in Business Statistics and answer several managerial questions.
You must complete this as a group of three, four or five students. There are five
questions
that each group must complete.