Duration: 240 minutes

Case Problem 1 (50 marks)

CONSOLIDATED FOODS, INC.

Consolidated Foods, Inc., operates a chain of supermarkets in New Mexico, Arizona, and
California. Data showing the dollar amounts and method of payment were collected for a
sample of 100 customers (see file Consolid). Consolidated's managers requested the sample be
taken to learn about payment practices of the store's customers. In particular, managers are
interested in learning about how a new credit card payment option is related to the customers'
purchase amounts.

Managerial Report
Use the methods of descriptive statistics to summarize the sample data. Provide
summaries of the dollar purchase amounts for cash customers. personal check customers, and
credit card customers separately. Your report should contain the following summaries and
discussions.
1. A comparison and interpretation of means and medians.
2. A comparison and interpretation of measures of variability such as the range and standard
deviation.
3. The identification and interpretation of the five-number summaries for each method of
payment.
Use the summary section of your report to provide a discussion of what you have
learned about the method of payment and the amounts of payments for Consolidated Foods’
customers.
Case Problem 2 (50 marks)
BUSINESS SCHOOLS OF ASIA-PACIFIC
The pursuit of a higher education degree in business is now international. A survey
shows that more and more. Asians are choosing the Master of Business Administration degree
route to corporate success (Asia, Inc., September 1997). The number of applicants for MBA
courses at Asia-Pacific schools is rising by about 30 percent a year. In 1997, the 74 business
schools in the Asia-Pacific region reported a record 170,000 applications for the 11,000 full-time
MBA degrees to be awarded in 1999. A main reason for the surge in demand is that an MBA can
greatly enhance earning power.
Across the region, thousands of Asians are showing an increasing willingness to
temporarily shelve their careers and spend two years in pursuit of a theoretical business
qualification Courses in these schools are notoriously tough and include economics, banking,
marketing, behavioral sciences, labor relations, decision making, strategic thinking, business
law, and more. (see file Asian)

Managerial Report
Use the methods of descriptive statistics to summarize the data in the file attached.
Discuss your findings.
1. Include a summary for each variable in the data set. Make comments and interpretations
based on maximums and minimums, as well as the appropriate means and proportions. What
new insights do these descriptive statistics provide concerning Asia-Pacific business schools?
2. Summarize the data to compare the following:
a. Any difference between local and foreign tuition costs.
b. Any difference between mean starting salaries for schools requiring and not requiring
work experience.
c. Any difference between starting salaries for schools requiring and not requiring
English tests.
3. Do starting salaries appear to be related to tuition?
4. Present any additional graphical and numerical summaries that will be beneficial in
communicating the data in the file attached to others.