Introduction to Business Statistics

As with earlier editions, this text fully integrates the use of computers with statistics. This edition has retained the non-intimidating approach to describing the concepts and applications of statistics while giving students the opportunity to observe and actually carry out computer-generated solutions using statistics packages like SPSS and MINITAB, or a spreadsheet package like Excel. The text has also been designed so that those requiring a more traditional calculator-based approach will find an abundance of exercises and examples that can be solved in that manner. A CD-ROM presenting data sets and special Excel macros that Robert Pavur (Professor, U of North Texas) and Kellie Keeling (Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech) have created will be bound into the back of the book.

Al Kvanli is Associate Professor of Management Science and Statistics at the University of North Texas. He received the MA degree in mathematics from the University of Kansas and the Ph.D. in mathematical statistics from Southern Methodist University. For the past fifteen years Dr. Kvanli has been the statistical consultant for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Audit. In this role, he created much of the statistical software used by federal auditors and teaches sampling courses for state and federal auditors. He often serves as expert witness in appeals of monetary recovery by HHS and he has written a number of articles related to the application of statistical sampling in an audit environment.

Robert Pavur is Professor of Management Science and Statistics at the University of North Texas. He received the Ph.D. in statistics from Texas Tech University. He has held various officer positions, including president, in the Southwest regional Decision Science Institute and received its distinguished service award in 2000.

He has published a number of articles on alternative approaches to solving the statistical classification problem. His papers have appeared in journals such as the Annals of Operations Research, IEEE Transactions on Reliability, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of the Operational Research Society, and International Journal of Operations and Quantitative Management. He uses his statistical skills as a cryptologist in the Naval Reserve.

Kellie B. Keeling is an Assistant Professor of Business Information Technology at Virginia Tech. She received the Ph.D. in Management Science from the University of North Texas and the M.B.A. and B.S. in Mathematics from Wayland Baptist University. She has taught statistics, operations management, and simulation courses. Dr. Keeling has received the R. B. Pamplin College of Business Certificate of Teaching Excellence and the Virginia Tech University Certificate of Teaching Excellence.