Preface

I have tried to offer a theoretically sound introduction to statistics that is appropriate for either the undergraduate or introductory MBA level courses in Schools of Business, or for those who are seeking a basic introduction to statistics to further their study of Six Sigma and related topics. I hope you’ll find the writing style clear and concise. My first objective with this book is for you to appreciate the tremendous role of statistics in the analysis of business problems. Beyond that, my aim is to help you develop your analytical skills to a point where you will feel confident using statistical methods in decision making situations. Thousands of managers already use a broad spectrum of statistical methods every day. These same statistical skills will be useful to you as well.

Additional materials to support the learning process are located online at the author’s site, which can be found at http://support.sas.com/publishing/authors/. These additional materials include the data tables used in the text material and in chapter problems, PowerPoint slides, MP3 files of the definitions of key concepts for each chapter, and JMP scripts that are referenced in the text. In addition, there are additional problems with solutions for use as homework or testing purposes in the Instructors section of the Web site.