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ROBERT STINE DEAN FOSTER
Third Edition
Third Edition
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-449716-7
ISBN-10: 0-13-449716-3
9 0 0 0 0
STINE
9 780134 497167
FOSTER
CONTENTS vii
17 Comparison 420
17.1 Types of Comparisons 421
17.2 Data for Comparisons 421
17.3 Two-Sample z-Test for Proportions 424
17.4 Two-Sample Confidence Interval for Proportions 425
17.5 two-Sample t-Test 429
17.6 Confidence Interval for the Difference Between Means 433
17.7 Paired Comparisons 436
Chapter Summary 446
Knowledge of statistics is a great asset in business, but another way to get ahead of the competition, the key is
getting the most value from this asset requires knowing a desire to learn how statistics can produce better de-
how to ask and answer the right questions. Choosing the cisions and insights from the growing amount of data
right question and solving the problem correctly require generated in modern businesses.
an appreciation of business as well as the subtleties of We don’t assume that readers have mastered the do-
statistics. Unless you understand the business issue from mains of a business education, such as economics, fi-
a finance, marketing, management, or accounting per- nance, marketing, or accounting. We do assume, though,
spective, you won’t see how statistics can help solve the that you care how ideas from these areas can improve a
problem. Performing the statistical analysis must wait business. If you’re interested in these applications—and
until you have grasped the issue facing the business. we think you will be—then our examples provide the
background you will need to appreciate why we want
to solve the challenges that we present in each chapter.
Solving Business Problems
Readers with more experience will discover that we’ve
This application-directed approach is key to business simplified the technical details of some applications, such
analytics and shapes our examples. We open each chap- as those in finance or marketing. Even so, we think that
ter with a business question that motivates the contents the examples offer those with substantive experience a
of the chapter. For extra practice, worked-out examples new perspective on familiar problems. We hope that you
within each chapter follow our 4M (Motivation, Method, will agree that the examples are realistic and get to the
Mechanics, Message) problem-solving strategy. The mo- heart of quantitative applications of statistics in business.
tivation sets up the problem and explains the relevance
of the question at hand. We then identify the appropri-
Technology
ate statistical method and work through the mechanics
of its calculation. Finally, the message answers the ques- You cannot do research in modern applied statistics
tion in language suitable for a business presentation or without computing. Data sets have grown in size and
report. Through the 4Ms, we’ll show you how a business complexity, making it impossible to work out the cal-
context guides the statistical procedure and how the re- culations by hand. Rather than dwell on routine cal-
sults determine a course of action. Motivation and Mes- culations, we rely on software (often referred to as a
sage are critical. The Motivation answers the question statistics package) to compute the results. Although we
“Why am I doing this analysis?”. If you cannot answer emphasize the use of technology, we give the formulas
that question, it’s hard to get the statistics correct. The and illustrate the calculations introduced in each chap-
Message has to express your answer in language that ter so that you will always know what the software is
is used in the business world. Understand the business doing. It is essential to appreciate what happens in the
first, then use statistics to help formulate your conclu- calculations: You need to understand how the calcu-
sion. Notice that we said “help.” A statistical analysis by lations are done in order to recognize when they are
itself is not the final answer. You must frame that analy- appropriate and when they fail. That does not mean,
sis in terms that others in the business will understand however, that you need to spend hours doing routine
and find persuasive. calculations. Your time is precious, and there’s only so
Our emphasis on the substantive use of statistics in much of it to go around. We think it makes good eco-
business shapes our view that the ideal reader for this nomic sense to take advantage of modern technology
text is someone with an interest in learning how statis- in order to give us more time to think harder and more
tical thinking improves the ability of a manager to run thoroughly about the motivating context for an applica-
or contribute to a business. Whether you’re an under- tion and to successfully present the business message.
graduate with an interest in business, an MBA looking When we present results obtained with a calcula-
to improve your skills, or a business owner looking for tor or computer, we typically round them. You don’t
xi
need to know that the profits from a projected sale examples, and illustrations that stress the impor-
are $123,234.32529. It’s usually better to round such a tance of these connections. For example, previous
number to $123 thousand. To let you know when we’ve editions introduced the 4M paradigm—motivation,
rounded a calculation, we say about or approximately. method, mechanics, and message—that shows how
In expressions, we denote rounding with the symbol < , to combine data and statistics to solve problems in
as in 1/6 < 0.167. business. This edition carries this metaphor further.
To help you learn how to use software, each chapter By explicitly linking this paradigm to analytics, this
includes hints on using Excel®, MinitabExpress®, and edition shows that business analytics requires blend-
JMP® for calculations. These hints won’t replace the help ing substantive relevance with statistical analysis.
provided by your software, but they will point you in the ■■ Up-to-date applications explore problems related to
right direction so that you don’t spin your wheels figur- “big data” and introduce hot topics such as A/B test-
ing out how to get started with an analysis. Supplemental ing that are popular in today’s businesses. Although the
software study cards are available for specific packages. methods behind these new topics are familiar within
statistics, the names are new. This edition makes sure
Data students know the new names so that they can link what
they learn in the classroom to what they read online.
Statistical analysis uses data, and we’ve provided lots ■■ This edition features more than 90 new and updated
of data to give you the opportunity to have some real data sets. The changed data range from examples
hands-on experience. As you read through the chap- used within chapters to those underlying exercises.
ters, you’ll discover a variety of data sets that include Important, highly visible changes include “through
real estate markets, stocks and bonds, technology, retail the cycle” finance and economic time series that
sales, human resource management, and fundamental span the 2008 recession.
economics. These data come from a range of sources, ■■ More than 100 enhanced exercises remove ambi-
and each chapter includes a discussion about where we guities and capture nuances in revised data. Many of
found the data used in examples. We hope you’ll use our these changes address issues identified by tracking
suggestions and find more. online student performance in completing related
exercises in MyStatLab. Problems that were worded
Prerequisite Knowledge in a way that might confuse students were clarified.
To appreciate the illustrative calculations and formulas,
■■ Excel is the workhorse tool of many businesses. This
readers will need to be familiar with basic algebra. Por- edition adds a section to every chapter that shows
tions of chapters that introduce a statistical method of- step by step how to complete analytic exercises with
ten include some algebra to show where a formula comes the latest version of Excel. Excel is the most popular
from. Usually, we only use basic algebra (up through top- software for introductory statistics, but some prefer
ics such as exponents and square roots). Several chapters the features offered by statistics packages such as
make extensive use of the logarithm function. If you’re Minitab or JMP. We’ve retained and updated hints in
interested in business and economics, this is a function each chapter for these as well.
worth getting to know a lot better. The applications we’ve
■■ It’s the little things. Hundreds of changes have been
provided, such as modeling sales or finding the best made throughout this edition to emphasize and clar-
price, show why the logarithm is so important. Occasion- ify key points. For example, this edition highlights
ally, we give credit to calculus for solving a problem, but additional tips throughout the text that help readers
we don’t present derivations using calculus. You’ll do fine recognize important points that might be overlooked.
if you are willing to accept that calculus is a branch of Clarified explanations, analogies, and examples in
more advanced mathematics that provides, among other every chapter encourage students to delve deeper
things, the ability to derive formulas that have special and learn for themselves.
properties. If you do know calculus, you’ll be able to see
where these expressions come from.
COVERAGE AND ORGANIZATION
We have organized the chapters of this book into four
WHAT’S NEW IN THIS EDITION parts:
This edition adds more of what readers have found re- 1. Variation
ally useful: 2. Probability
3. Inference
■■ Business analytics relies on linking data to business
4. Regression Models
decisions. Businesses ranging from traditional banks
to the latest game developers are clamoring for em- Part I. These chapters introduce summary statistics
ployees who can connect data and models to substan- such as the mean and important graphical summaries,
tive business problems. This edition adds emphasis, including bar charts, histograms, and scatterplots. Even
methods that provide answers to the question posed in Software Hints. Each chapter includes hints on using
the opening example. Excel, Minitab, and JMP for calculations. These hints
give students a jumping off point for getting started
The 4M (Motivation,
4M Analytics Examples doing statistical analysis with software. Supplemental
Method, Mechanics, study cards for these and other software packages are
Message) problem-solving strategy gives students a clear available from the publisher.
outline for solving any business problem. Each 4M ex-
ample first expresses a business question in context, Behind the Math. At the end of most chapters, a Be-
then guides students to determine the best statistical hind the Math section provides interesting technical
method for working the problem using statistical soft- details that explain important results, such as the jus-
ware, and, finally, frames the analysis in terms that oth- tification or interpretation for an underlying formula.
ers in the business world will understand. If you are so inclined, they will help you appreciate the
subtleties and logic behind the mechanics, but they are
Short question sets not necessary for using statistics.
What Do You Think? throughout each chapter
give students the opportunity to check their under- Chapter Summary. These chapter-ending summaries
standing of what they’ve just read. These questions are provide a complete review of the content.
intended to be a quick check of key concepts and ideas
presented in the chapter; most questions involve very ■■ Key Terms We provide an index of the chapter’s key
little calculation. Answers are located in a footnote so terms at the end of each chapter to give students a
that students can easily check their answers before quick and easy way to return to important definitions
moving on in the text. in the text.
■■ Objectives This new feature provides a list of what
Tips. We highlight useful hints for applying sta- students should understand after having read a
tip tistical methods within the exposition so that chapter.
students don’t miss them. ■■ Formulas Important formulas introduced within the
chapter are restated.
Caution. You’ll see the caution icon next
■■ About the Data This feature provides sources for the
caution data used throughout the chapter with further back-
to material that might be confusing. You
should be extra careful to make sure you understand ground.
the material being discussed.
Exercises. Each chapter contains a variety of exercises
✓ Checklist. Some statistics presume that the informa- at escalating levels of difficulty in order to give students
tion presented satisfies several conditions or assump- a full complement of practice in problem solving using
tions. For example, certain statistics only detect pat- the skills they’ve learned in the chapter. Types of ex-
terns that resemble lines. You would not want to use ercises include Matching, True/False, Think About It,
these if you were looking for a curve. To help you keep You Do It, and 4M Exercises. You’ll find the data for the
track of the assumptions, the conditions are collected 4M and You Do It exercises on Pearson’s Math and Sta-
in a checklist. tistics Resources Website: http://www.pearsonhighered
.com/mathstats
Best Practices. At the end of each chapter, we include ■■ Matching and True/False exercises test students’ abil-
a collection of tips for applying the chapter’s concepts ity to recognize the basic mathematical symbols and
successfully and ethically. terminology they have learned in the chapter. We
avoid unnecessary formulas, but certain symbols
Pitfalls. Most of the unintentional mistakes people make and terminology show up so often that students are
when learning statistics are avoidable and usually come well served to recognize them.
from using the wrong method for the situation or misinter- ■■ Think About It exercises ask students to pull together
preting the results. This feature at the end of each chapter the chapter’s concepts in order to solve conceptual
provides useful tips for avoiding common mistakes. problems. You don’t need a computer or calculator
Data Analytics: The authors analyzed aggregated student for most of these.
usage and performance data from MyStatLab™ for the ■■ You Do It exercises give students practice solv-
previous edition of this text. The results of this analysis ing problems that reinforce the mechanics they’ve
helped improve the quality and quantity of exercises that learned in the chapter. These exercises apply the
matter the most to instructors and students. methods of the chapter to data related to a business
application. Working through the steps of these ex- ■■ 4M Analytics exercises are rich, challenging applica-
ercises helps you practice the mechanics. We expect tions rooted in real business situations. These ask
you to use a statistics software package for many of students to apply the statistical knowledge they’ve
these. developed in the chapter to a set of questions about a
particular business problem.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We didn’t develop our approach to business statistics Joan Donohue, University of South Carolina
in isolation. Our colleagues at Wharton have helped Steve Erikson, Babson College
shape our approach to teaching statistics in business.
Nancy Freeman, Shelton State Community College
Many of the ideas and examples that you’ll find here
arose from suggestions made by colleagues, including Daniel Friesen, Midwestern State University
Andreas Buja, Sasha Rakhlin, Paul Shaman, Richard Deborah J. Gougeon, University of Scranton
Waterman, and Adi Wyner. Over the years, members of Christian Grandzol, Bloomsburg University
our department have come to share a common attitude
Betsy Greenberg, University of Texas—Austin
toward the use of statistics in business, and this text re-
flects that shared perspective. Most of the examples and Ken Griffin, University of Central Arkansas
many exercises from the text have been tried in other John Grout, Berry College
classes and improved using that feedback. We owe Warren Gulko, University Of North
these friends a debt of gratitude for their willingness to Carolina, Wilmington
talk about the fundamental use of statistics in business
Marie Halvorsen-Ganepola, Notre Dame University
and to explore alternative explanations and examples.
Many thanks to the following reviewers for their Clifford B. Hawley, West Virginia University
comments and suggestions during the revision of this Bob Hopfe, California State University—Sacramento
text. Max Houck, West Virginia University
David Hudgins, University of Oklahoma
Kunle Adamson, DeVry University
Jeffrey Jarrett, University of Rhode Island
Elaine Allen, Babson College
Chun Jin, Central Connecticut State University
Randy Anderson, California State University—Fresno
Christopher K. Johnson, Ph.D. University of
Djeto Assane, University of Nevada, Las Vegas North Florida
Rajesh K. Barnwal, Middle Tennessee State University Morgan Jones, University of North Carolina
Dipankar Basu, Miami University Ronald K. Klimberg, Saint Joseph’s University
Mark Bloxom, Alfred State College SUNY College of David Kopcso, Babson College
Technology
Supriya Lahiri, University of Massachusetts, Lowell
Hannah Bolte, Indiana University Bloomington
Mark T. Leung, University of Texas—San Antonio
David Booth, Kent State University, Main Campus
Tony Lin, Ph.D., University of Southern California
John E. Boyer, Jr., Kansas State University
John McKenzie, Babson College
Michael Braun, Southern Methodist University
Kay McKinzie, University of Central Arkansas
Daniel G. Brick, University of St. Thomas
Mark R. Marino, Niagara University
Nancy Burnett, University of Wisconsin—Oshkosh
Dennis Mathaisel, Babson College
Richard Cleary, Bentley College
Sherryl May, University of Pittsburgh
Ismael Dambolena, Babson College
Bruce McCullough, Drexel University
Anne Davey, Northeastern State University
Richard McGowan, Boston College
Dr. Michael Deis, Clayton University
Constance McLaren, Indiana State University
Frederick W. Derrick, Loyola University Maryland
Robert Meeks, Pima Community College
Neil Desnoyers, Drexel University
Jeffrey Michael, Towson University
Instructor Resources
Instructor’s Edition Technology Resources
This version of the text contains short answers to all
of the exercises within the exercise sets. (ISBN-10:
Data Sets
Data sets formatted for Minitab, Excel, JMP, and text
0-13-449738-4; ISBN-13: 978-0-13-449738-9)
files can be downloaded from MyStatLab or www
Instructor’s Solutions Manual, .pearsonhighered.com/mathstatsresources/.
Instructor’s Solutions Manual, by Zhiwei Zhu, Uni-
versity of Louisiana, Lafayette Business Insight Videos
This manual provides detailed, worked-out solu- This series of ten 5- to 7- minute videos, each about
tions to all of the book’s exercises. The Instruc- a well-known business and the challenges it faces,
tor’s Solutions Manual is available for download in focuses on statistical concepts as they pertain to
MyStatLab and from Pearson Education’s online the r eal world. The videos can be downloaded from
catalog (http://www.pearsonhighered.com/irc). within MyStatLab. Contact your Pearson represen-
tative for details.
Business Insight Video
Assessment Questions MyStatLab™ Online Course
Written to accompany the Business Insight Videos, (access code required)
these video-specific questions and answers can MyStatLab from Pearson is the world’s leading on-
be used for assessment or classroom discussion. line resource for teaching and learning statistics;
These are available for download from MyStatLab integrating interactive homework, assessment, and
or at www.pearsonhighered.com/irc. media in a flexible, easy-to-use format. MyStatLab is
www.mystatlab.com
www.mystatlab.com
www.mystatlab.com
www.mystatlab.com
CO ∙ Chapter Opener; IE ∙ In-Text Example; WT ∙ What Do You Think?; 4M ∙ Motivation, Method, Mechanics, Message;
P ∙ Pitfalls; BP ∙ Best Practices; AE ∙ Analytics in Excel; AD ∙ About the Data; BTM ∙ Behind the Math; TAI ∙ Think About It;
YDI ∙ You Do It; SA ∙ Statistics in Action; QT ∙ Questions for Thought
Accounting Dealer Earnings per Day (TAI) 266
Door Seam of a Vehicle (YDI) 359
Accounting Firm Filing Tax Forms (TAI) 295
Fatal Roll-Over Accidents (4M) 35–36; (AE) 40–41
Accounting Procedures (TAI) 332
Favorite Car Color (TAI) 103
Auditing a Business (4M) 178
Fuel Consumption in Cars (CO) 528; (IE) 529–538
Auditor Checking Transactions (WT) 368
Leasing Cars (4M) 390
Auditor Comparing Billable Invoices (TAI) 728
Male Drivers Involved in Serious Accidents (YDI) 296
Budget Allocation of a New Business (4M) 701–702
Motor Shafts in Automobile Engines (YDI) 359
Cost Accounting (4M) 139
Predicting Sales of New Cars (4M) 775–778; (AE) 792–793
Research and Development Expenses (YDI) 525, 593, 626, 663,
Price of New Cars (WT) 632
699, 732
Pricing of a Car (IE) 7–9
Rated Highway Gasoline Mileage (YDI) 77
Advertising Stopping Distances (YDI) 765
Advertising Among Internet Hosts (CO) 83; (IE) 80–83, 180–185; Trade in Asian Models (TAI) 44
(WT) 183 Trade in Domestic Models (TAI) 44
Advertising and Sales (IE) 559–561; (TAI) 591 Used Cars (WT) 14; (TAI) 76; (YDI) 449, 553–554
Advertising Firm Renewing Contract (TAI) 175
App advertising 187–190 Banking
Direct Mail Advertising (4M) 418
Adjustable Rate Mortgage (TAI) 74
Display Space (YDI) 553
ATM (YDI) 221
Evaluating a Promotion (4M) 435–436
Bank Collecting Data on Customers (TAI) 23, 24
Financial Advisor (YDI) 804
Banks Compete by Adding Special Services (YDI) 418
Judging the Credibility of Advertisements (4M) 751–754; (AE)
Basel II Standards for Banking (TAI) 386–387
756–758
Check Fees (TAI) 23
Monthly Sales and Advertising (P) 513
Credit Card Offer (CO) 362; (IE) 363, 366–367, 370–371, 374, 409
New Advertising Program (TAI) 449
Credit Card Profit Earned from a Customer (IE) 375–376
Pharmaceutical Advertising (CO) 251–251
Credit Cards (IE) 372; (AE) 472–473; (4M) 527
Priming in Advertising (4M) 723–725
Credit Risk (IE) 185
Promotion Response (4M) 389–390
Direct Deposits for Employees (TAI) 331
Television Advertising (TAI) 102
Federal Regulators Requiring Bank to Maintain Cash Reserves
Television Commercials (4M) 403; (AE) 411; (TAI) 416
(IE) 373
Loan Approval (IE) 161; (WT) 166
Agriculture Loan Balances (TAI) 74
Blood Sample from Cattle (WT) 319 Loan Defaults (YDI) 267–268
Dairy Farming (YDI) 267 Manager Tracking Bank Transactions (YDI) 267
Food-Safety Inspectors Visiting Dairy Farms (TAI) 331 Mortgage Loan Defaults (WT) 161–161
Grain Produced per Acre (CO) 736 On Time Loan Repayment (IE) 166–167
Wheat Trials (IE) 737–742, 744–754; (TAI) 763 Profit for a Bank (IE) 374–375
Size of Credit Card Transactions (IE) 321–322
Subprime Mortgages (4M) 646–650; (AE) 651–653
Automotive
Auto Dealer Attending Car Auctions (TAI) 592 Business (General)
Residual Car Values (4M) 665
Base Price and Horsepower of Cars (YDI) 525–526, 593, 627, Auto Dealer (TAI) 173
663–664, 699–700, 732–733 Bookstore (YD I) 804
Buying Tires at an Auto Service Center (WT) 205; (IE) 212 Catalog Sales Companies (TAI) 387
Car Theft (4M) 86–88; (AE) 98 Clothing Buyer for a Chain of Department Stores (TAI) 386
Cars in 1989 (4M) 555 Company Free Giveaways (IE) 207–208
Customer Options When Ordering a New Car (YDI) 198 Company Stocking Shelves in Supermarkets (YDI) 416, 422
xxi
Customer Focus (4M) 19 Convenience Store Shopper Choosing Food (TAI) 173; (WT)
Data-driven Culture (TAI) 45 231–232
Display Space (TAI) 765 Cost of Diamonds (IE) 271–272, 499, 503–504; (YDI) 730
Employee Absences (YDI) 48 Customer Preferences of a New Product (TAI) 102
Employee Drug Testing (TAI) 197–198 Customer Rating a Power Tool (TAI) 591
Fast-Food Restaurant Chains (YDI) 176, 177; (WT) 253 Customer Satisfaction with Calls to Customer Service (CO) 156;
Forecasting Profits (4M) 787–790; (AE) 794–795 (IE) 157–159; (BP) 169; (TAI) 172–173; (YDI) 175, 200
Gross Profit (YDI) 804 Diamond Ring Prices (YDI) 523–524, 592, 625
Growth Industries (4M) 49–50 Drive Preferences (YDI) 135
Large Company Correlation (IE) 126–127 Emerald Diamonds (YDI) 730
Mail-Order Catalog (TAI) 74 Estimating Consumption (4M) 504–506; (AE) 514–516
Multinational Retail Company (TAI) 523 Gasoline Prices (4M) 805–806
Optimal Pricing (4M) 543–545; (AE) 546–548; (BTM) 550 Gasoline Sales (YDI) 104
Price and Weights of Diamonds (WT) 114; (TAI) 134, 591; Gold Chain Prices (YDI) 661, 698
(CO) 498; (IE) 499–504, 507–509, 529, 576 Guest Satisfaction (4M) 332
Price Scanners at Check-Out Registers (TAI) 76 Lease Costs (4M) 511–512; (AE) 517–518
Reams of Paper Used in an Office (YDI) 220 Pant Choices at a Clothing Store (TAI) 173
Repairing an Office Machine (YDI) 221 Purchasing Habits (TAI) 45
Restaurant Chain Choosing a Location (CO) 630 Rating Hotel Chains (TAI) 23
Revenue Generated by Individual Sales Representatives (TAI) Spending at a Convenience Store (TAI) 45; (YDI) 524, 592,
727–728 625–626, 661–662, 698, 730
Sales by Day of the Week (TAI) 74
Shopping Mall Environment (TAI) 74 Demographics
Start-Up Company (TAI) 24, 48
Supermarket Scanner Data (4M) 200 Ages of Shoppers (TAI) 75
Technology Businesses Moving Corporate Headquarters near a Heights of Students (TAI) 74
Mall (WT) 639 Number of Children of Shoppers in a Toy Store (TAI) 75
Value of New Orders for Computers and Electronics (WT) 772
Women-Owned Businesses (YDI) 48 Distribution and Operations Management
Assembly Line Production (TAI) 358
Company Names Book Shipments to University Bookstores (YDI) 388
Apple (TAI) 45 Cost of Building Cars at Plants (TAI) 728
Amazon (CO) 26; (IE) 27, 32, 38; (P) 40 Customized Milling Operation (TAI) 523
Bike Addicts (CO) 10; (IE) 12, 14, 17, 22 Delivery Stops for a Freight Company (YDI) 247
Dell Revenue and Inventories (TAI) 800–801 Efficiency of Automated Factories (TAI) 728
Facebook 176 Forecasting Inventory Levels at Wal-Mart (YDI) 803, 804
Ford (WT) 326 Importer of Electronic Goods (YDI) 417
Intel (IE) 772 Imports (YDI) 803–804
L.L. Bean (TAI) 387 Maintenance Staff of a Large Office Building (YDI) 220
Levi Strauss (IE) 18 Managing Inventories (SA) 491–493
Lockheed Martin (IE) 35 Number of Employees and Items Produced (TAI) 134
Netflix (TAI) 44–45 Operating Margin of a National Motel Chain (TAI) 661
Target (CO) 10; (4M) 125; (YDI) 552–553 Overnight Shipping Firm (YDI) 763–764
Wal-Mart (CO) 10, 703; (4M) 451–452; (IE) 15, 17, 18, 125, 151, Package Delivery Service and Fuel Costs (TAI) 523
320, 703, 715; (SA) 491; (YDI) 552, 804 Packages Processed by Federal Express (TAI) 75
Packaging Types (SA) 491–495; (QT) 495–496
Performance of Two Shipping Services (IE) 89–90
Construction
Planning Operating Costs (4M) 249–250
City Building a New Public Parking Garage (YDI) 387 Production Costs (YDI) 524–525, 592–593, 626, 662, 698, 731
Construction Estimates (4M) 240–241; (AE) 242 Production Line Filling Bottles (TAI) 358
Construction Firm Bidding on a Contract (YDI) 219, 248 Production Time and Number of Units (WT) 505–506
Contractor Building Homes in a Suburban Development (TAI) Seasonal Component of Computer Shipments (IE) 770–771
295 Shipping Companies (YDI) 450
Contractor Replaces Windows and Siding in Suburban Homes Shipping Computer Systems (TAI) 103
(WT) 639, 643 State of a Production Line (IE) 340–343, 345–346
Cost of Building an Elementary School (TAI) 523 Value of Shipments of Computers and Electronics (CO) 768; (IE)
Housing Permits and Construction (YDI) 804–805 770–771, 773–775, 778–784; (TAI) 800
Kitchen Remodeling (TAI) 246 Windows Shipped Daily (IE) 212–213
Wine Exports (IE) 33–34
Consumers
E-Commerce
Bargain on Blouses (YDI) 199
Buying a Laptop (YDI) 176 A/B Testing of Web Site Design (IE) 428–429
Buying Running Shoes (TAI) 174 Click fraud (YDI) 389
Cell Phone Subscribers (4M) 614–615; (AE) 620–621; (YDI) 802 Filtering Junk Mail (4M) 193–194; (CO) 391; (IE) 392–393, 402;
Choices for Paint Colors and Finishes at a Hardware Store (TAI) (TAI) 416
103–104 Internet Ad Spending (CO) 26
Environment
Food/Drink
Arctic Ice (YDI) 802
Artificial Sweetener (YDI) 47–48, 763
Carbon Dioxide Emissions (YDI) 138–139
Bread Volume (YDI) 764–765
Hurricane Bond (YDI) 296
Chocolate Snacks (YDI) 48–49
Hurricane Katrina (IE) 4, 5, 6–7
Fast Food Restaurant Customers (YDI) 247
January Average Temperatures (CO) 109
Food and Drug Administration Vetoing Name Choices
Polluting a Local River System (TAI) 415
(YDI) 268
Temperature (IE) 13
Frozen Food Package Weight (IE) 347–348
Weather at a Beachside Vacation Resort (TAI) 174
Gourmet Steaks (TAI) 295
Weather Forecasts (4M) 628–629; (YDI) 664, 700
Low-Calorie Sports Drink (YDI) 417
M&Ms (IE) 58; (AE) 69; (TAI) 74; (YDI) 175; (SA) 306–309; Insurance Salesman (YDI) 221
(4M) 55–56 Life Insurance Benefits (IE) 122–123
Package Weights of M&Ms (SA) 310–311; (QT) 312 Selling Life and Auto Insurance (YDI) 247
Take-Out Food at a Local Pizzeria (YDI) 388 Stock Market Insurance (CO) 270
Taste Test (TAI) 267, 331; (IE) 437
Weights of Cereal Boxes (IE) 280 Labor
Wine (YDI) 449, 553, 733
Absent Employees (YDI) 199
Assembly Line Workers Missing Work (YDI) 102
Games
Civilian Unemployment Rate (IE) 17
Arcade Game (TAI) 219 Days Employees Were Out Sick (WT) 56
Dice Game (SA) 298–304; (QT) 305 Predicting Employment (IE) 4–7
Fair Coin (TAI) 415; (WT) 253 Tornado insurance (WT) 253
Fair Game (TAI) 219 Worker Productivity (TAI) 523
Game Consoles (YDI) 49 Workforce by Gender (YDI) 199
Lotteries (TAI) 219
Lucky Ducks Carnival Game (WT) 208 Law
Online Poker (YDI) 247
Slot Machine (QT) 305 Jury Trial (TAI) 415–416
Video Game Previewed by Teenagers (TAI) 24 Law Firm (YDI) 219–220
Law Suit against Wal-Mart (CO) 703–704; (4M) 451–452
Government
Management
Political Candidate Anxious about the Outcome of an Election
(TAI) 386 Analyzing the Performance of a Fast-Food Chain (TAI) 658
Political Poll (4M) 379–380 Average Amount of a Purchase Order (WT) 371
Property Taxes (4M) 378–379; (AE) 381–382 Business Offering Free Fitness Center Membership to Staff
Sales Tax (TAI) 75, 133 (TAI) 448
Tax Audits (4M) 333 Employee Confidence in Senior Management (YDI) 389
Top Government Research Priority (YDI) 47 Management of a Chain of Hotels (YDI) 417
Travel Expenses for Staff (WT) 637 Management Presentation (WT) 33
Management Tracking Growth of Sales versus Number of Outlets
(TAI) 625
Human Resource Management/Personnel
Manager Predicting Sales (TAI) 799
Average Age of MBAs Hired (TAI) 386 Managers with an MBA (YDI) 198
Businesses Planning to Hire Additional Employees Managing a Process (4M) 167–168; (IE) 167–168
(TAI) 386 Project Management (4M) 222–223
Calls Handled at a Corporate Call Center (BP) 68 Sales Force Comparison (4M) 438–440; (TAI) 449
Correlation between Employee Absent from Year to Year (TAI) Supervising Experimental Projects (TAI) 267
133 Supervisors Tracking the Output of a Plant (TAI) 625
Dexterity Testing and Hiring People for a Factory Assembly Line
(YDI) 449 Manufacturing
Direct Sales Team (YDI) 199
Discrimination in Hiring (4M) 107 Appliance Assembly (YDI) 199
Employee Experience 175 Assembly Line (YDI) 175
Employee Testing (YDI) 135 Canadian Paper Manufacturer (TAI) 23
Employees Interested in Joining a Union (TAI) 697 Car Manufacturer (TAI) 23–24, 332
Employment in Four Industries (YDI) 105 Making M&Ms (4M) 55–56
Evaluating the Performance of New Hires (TAI) 658, 664 Printer Manufacturing (YDI) 220–221
Headhunters (YDI) 418 Tire Manufacturer (YDI) 296
Hiring (YDI) 526, 593–594, 627, 664, 700–701, 733
Hiring Engineering Graduates Who Speak a Foreign Language Marketing
(TAI) 173 Age, Income and Product Rating (TAI) 658–659, 697; (IE)
Home-Based Operator (YDI) 176 681–682
Outsourcing High-Level White Collar Jobs (YDI) 49 Analysis of Car Buyers (YDI) 418
Personality Test (TAI) 416 Coupons expiring 765
Predicting Success of Candidates (TAI) 658 Coupons Increasing Sales (TAI) 103
Reasons for Missing Work (TAI) 102 Launching a Product (IE) 214
Reducing Turnover Rates (4M) 419; (YDI) 450 Locating a New Store (4M) 125–126; (AE) 128
Sex Discrimination in the Workplace (4M) 451–452 Loyalty Programs (YDI) 417
Training Program (YDI) 248; (WT) 729–730; (TAI) 664 Mailing List (WT) 88, 94; (4M) 418
Market Analyst (TAI) 175
Insurance Market Segmentation (4M) 678–682; (AE) 688–691
Auto Insurance Premiums (TAI) 75 Market Share for Artificial Sweeteners (YDI) 47–48
Comparing Average Sales of an Insurance Company (YDI) 764 Marketing Courier Paks (TAI) 729
Cost of Covering Auto Accidents (TAI) 246 Marketing Team Designing a Promotional Web Page (WT) 431
Insurance Policies (TAI) 197, 198 Retailer Offering Scratch-Off Coupons (YDI) 176
Smartphone Sales (AE) 41; (YDI) 388–389
WALTER’S SOLUTION
T HE Thorstads had not gone back to Mohawk. Mrs. Thorstad had said
that she would stay in St. Pierre until they heard further from Freda and
since it was the school vacation her husband had agreed. After the first
shock of disappearance they had accepted Freda’s letter at its face value and
decided to wait for news from her. It was all they could do, in fact. One
alternative, publicity, advertising her disappearance, would have done only
harm and have looked cruelly unnecessary in view of her farewell letter to
her father. The other alternative, setting private detectives to work, would
have been too expensive and again her letters did not justify that. They must
wait. Mrs. Thorstad, after a bit, did not brood, nor indeed appear to worry
greatly. She was quickly allied with clubdom and petty politics and was
busy. Her husband, trying to interest himself in stray free lectures at the
University and in the second hand bookstores, grew rather pallid and thin.
They stopped at an inexpensive boarding house on the West Side. It was
a place of adequate food, adequate cleanliness and no grace. Mrs.
Thorstad’s reputation as a prominent club woman stood her in good stead in
these rather constricted surroundings where most of the guests were men of
sapped masculinity, high busted women dividing their time between small
shopping and moving pictures. The men were persons of petty importance
and men of small independence, but there was one strangely incongruous
person in the company. He was the editor of the scandal paper of the city, a
thin, elderly, eye-glassed person of fifty, who had maintained, in spite of his
scavenging for scandals, some strange insistence on and delight in his own
respectability. He was personally so polite, so gentlemanly, so apparently
innocuous that it was almost incredible to think of him as the editor of the
sheet which sold itself so completely on the strength of its scandal that it
needed no advertising to float its circulation.
There was a natural attraction between him and Adeline Thorstad. They
had mutually a flare for politics and intense personal prejudices
complicating that instinctive liking. They often ran upon the same moral
catch words in their conversation. Robinson began to be a “booster” for
Mrs. Thorstad. He saw her political possibilities and commenced to call
attention to her here and there in his columns.
It was one of Mr. Thorstad’s few occasions of protest.
“Shall you tell him to keep your name out of his paper or shall I?”
“But he’s said nothing that isn’t awfully friendly, Eric. I hate to hurt his
feelings. I’m sure he meant to be kind.”
“You don’t want to be featured in ‘The Town Reporter,’ Adeline. It
doesn’t—it isn’t right.”
She let the stubborn lines settle over her face.
“I don’t think the ‘Town Reporter’ is as corrupt as almost any of the
others.”
“Look at the stuff it prints!”
“But, my dear, if it’s true, isn’t there a kind of courage in printing it?”
He looked at her in exasperation, measuring her and his own futility.
“So you want to let that go?”
“I think it’s better not to hurt him, Eric.”
He shut the door of their room sharply and yet when she saw him again
he had regained his quiet indifference to her doings. The friendship between
her and the editor continued to flourish.
They were in the dining-room on Tuesday, the third of August, when the
morning papers were brought in. It was a sticky, hot, lifeless morning.
Halves of grapefruit tipped wearily on the warmish plates. No one spoke
much. The head of the silk department in Green’s was hurrying through his
breakfast in order to get down to inspect the window trim. The stenographer
at Bailey and Marshall’s had slipped into her place. Mrs. Thorstad was alert
determinedly, Mr. Thorstad sagging a little beside her. Robinson picked up
his paper first, casually, and uttered a low whistle.
“That’s a bit of news,” he said.
Several people craned and reached for the papers they had been too
indolent to open. A headline ran across the page.
PROMINENT CLUBMAN KILLS HIMSELF IN
FASHIONABLE CLUB
The news had come to the Flandons at breakfast too. Gage had come
down first and picked up the newspaper while he was waiting for Helen and
the children. He read it at a glance and the blow made him a little dizzy.
Like a flood there came over him the quick sense of the utter blackness of
Walter’s mind—more than any sense of loss or pity came horror at the
baffled intellect which had caused the tragedy. He stood, reading,
moistening his lips as Helen entered and lifted the children to their chairs.
“Any news, Gage?”
He handed it to her silently.
“Oh, my God!” said Helen, “How terrible! How awful, Gage!”
He nodded and sat down in his chair, putting his head in his hands. She
read the article through.
“But why, do you suppose?”
Then she stopped, knowing the thought that must have come to him as it
came to her.
“Poor, poor Walter!”
She went around the table to Gage.
“You’ll go down of course, but take a cup of coffee first,” she said, her
hand on his shoulder.
He roused himself.
“All right.”
Some one telephoned for Gage and he said he would come at once to the
club. They went on with the form of breakfast. The children chattered. The
room shone with sunlight. Helen, through her shock and grief, caught a
glimpse of the shrinking of their trouble against this terrific final snuffing
out of life. Abashed at the comfort it gave her, she drew away from the
thought.
But it made her tender to Gage. It kept persisting, that thought. “It wasn’t
Gage. It might have been Gage. It might have been us. People like us do go
that far then. How horribly selfish this is. Poor Walter!” She suddenly
stopped short. She must telegraph Margaret. Margaret would have to know.
Whatever there had been between her and Carpenter, she must know.
Doubtless—perhaps—she would want to come to see him—Or would she?
She telegraphed Margaret as compassionately as possible. Yet it seemed
a little absurd to be too compassionate. Margaret wouldn’t like the shock
“broken.” She would want to know the facts.
The sun seemed brighter than it had been for days. Despite the grave
weight of sorrow on her spirit, Helen was calmed, attended by peace. She
was feeling the vast relief attendant on becoming absorbed in a trouble not
her own. It was not that her grief was not deep for Carpenter. He had been
Gage’s good friend and hers. And yet—it was almost as if in dying he had
deflected a tragedy from her, as if he had bought immunity for her with his
terrific price. She dared not tamper with the thought of what this might do
to Gage.
The mail man in his blue coat was coming up the steps. She opened the
door for him, anxious to do something, wondering if there would be a letter
from Margaret. There was. She laid the others aside and read that first. It
was a long letter full of thought, which at another time would have been
interesting. Margaret had wearied of Republicanism. She and many other
women were talking of the “League” again.
And Walter Carpenter lay dead. Was it relevant?
Helen put down the letter and looked through her others. There was one
from some hotel in Montana. She ripped it open and the first words startled
her so that she looked for the signature. It was signed by Freda Thorstad.
A swooning excitement came over Helen. She hardly dared read it.
Then, holding it crushed tightly, she went up to her own room. As she went
the children called to her. They wanted her to come and see the castle in the
sandbox.
“Soon,” she called to them, “I’ll be down soon. Mother’s busy—don’t
call me for a few minutes.”
She locked her door and read the letter. What had startled her was that
abrupt beginning “Asking for money is the hardest thing in the world—at
least nothing has ever been so hard before.” It went on “But I don’t know
what else to do, and I must do something. I can’t write any one else, partly
because no one else I know has enough money to send me and also because
I haven’t told any one except your husband about myself—and I suppose he
has told you. If he hasn’t he’ll tell you now that it is the truth. It’s this way.
My husband has been terribly sick and what money he had was stolen while
he was at the hotel before I got here. He’s still weak and of course he wants
to go home. But I haven’t dared tell him we haven’t any money because he
doesn’t know the maid picked his pockets while he was ill. We have to get
away from the hospital now that he’s well enough to travel—we don’t know
anybody in the city and there are his hospital bills to pay. The doctor told
me he would wait, but I can’t ask the nurses to do that. It seems almost
ridiculous for an able bodied person to be asking for money but we owe so
much more than I can earn that I must borrow. There doesn’t seem to be any
way to get money sometimes except by borrowing. I know I could pay it
back as soon as Gregory gets well again. I suppose you’ll wonder why I
don’t ask father. Well—he hasn’t as much money as we need. We need
nearly six hundred dollars to take Gregory to Ireland and pay the bills here.
Perhaps it would be better to get it from Gregory’s friends in Ireland. But I
know from what he’s told me that they all are trying so hard to do things for
the country with what little money they have that it would worry him to ask
them. And it would take too long. He mustn’t be worried, the doctors say,
and he must get back to his home soon. You know something about him for
I remember that I saw you at his lecture. He is really very wonderful and....
It isn’t as if I had a right to ask you either, except perhaps a kind of human
right.... You’ve been so kind to me, you and Mr. Flandon....”
Helen finished the letter with a rueful, very tired smile. Then she took it
into Gage’s room and laid it on his bureau where he would see it, when he
came in. He telephoned at noon to tell her that he was coming out; she kept
out of the way so that he would read the letter before she saw him.
He brought it to her and gave it back, folded.
“I suppose I should have told you that business but it was the girl’s
secret. She didn’t want it known and I stumbled on it.”
“I see,” she answered, inadequately.
“Looks like a bad situation for them, doesn’t it? I didn’t know, by the
way, where she had gone. I assumed she had gone to join him but I did
think Sable had driven her to do it. Evidently he sent for her.”
“And he nearly died.”
They paused in embarrassment. Helen held herself tautly.
“There’s an apology due you,” she began.
He held his hand out, deprecating it.
“No, please—you had every reason.” He changed the subject abruptly.
“Do we let her have the money?” He smiled for a minute. “Money’s
tight as hell. I haven’t got much in cash you know. But I don’t see how we
can refuse the girl.”
“We won’t,” said Helen.
“By the way, what I came out to say was that Walter’s lawyer thinks we
should send for Margaret Duffield. There’s a rumor that she is his legatee.
He had no family—his mother died last year. From what Pratt said he left it
all to Margaret. She’ll be rich.”
“I did wire her,” answered Helen, “an hour ago. I thought she ought to
know.”
“That’s good.”
“Tell me about it.”
“It was all in the paper. He shot himself a little after midnight. He was
alone in his room. It was evidently quite premeditated. There was a sealed
letter for his lawyer with instructions undoubtedly and everything was in
perfect order. He—he had simply decided to do it. And he has done it.
Something made him lie down—that’s all.”
He spoke reflectively, with a degree of abstraction that was surprising.
“Why do they think he did it?”
“Heat—not well physically. That’s what goes to the papers. Better
spread that. If the girl is involved, we’ll keep her name clear.”
“Oh, yes.”
“For Walter’s sake,” Gage went on. And then very slowly, he added, “I
wouldn’t like people to know that she got him.”
“Yet if it comes out that he left her everything, won’t people guess?”
“They won’t know. Nor do we know. Nobody knows except Walter and
he’s dead.”
They sent a second wire to Margaret requesting her presence for urgent
reasons and by night they had heard that she would come. The funeral was
to be on Friday.
It was Thursday evening when the “Town Reporter” bristled with ugly
headlines on the streets of St. Pierre. Walter’s body lay in the undertaking
“parlors” those ineffective substitutes for homes for those who die
homeless, in the brief period between their last hours among human kind
and the grave. No place except a home can indeed truly shelter the dead.
Walter lay inscrutably lonely, in the public parlor, mysterious in the death
which was a refusal to go on with life, a relinquishment so brave and so
cowardly that it always shocks observers into awe. As he lay there, a
raucous voiced newsboy outside the window ran down toward the main
throughfare, a bunch of “Town Reporters” under his arm, shouting, “All the
noos about the sooicide”—and in half an hour his papers were gone, some
bought openly, some bought hurriedly and shamefacedly. Hundreds of
people now knew the reason Elihu Robinson gave for the death of Walter
Carpenter, his version of the struggle in the stilled brain of the man he had
not known except by sight and hundreds of people as intimate with the
tragedy as he, wagged their heads and said wisely that this “was about the
truth of it,” with other and sundry comments on the corruption of the age
and particularly of the rich.
The Flandons read it with mixed disgust and anger. They knew it was the
kind of stain that only time could scrub away. It did not matter much to
Walter now that he was slandered. His suicide was a defiance of slander.
They were sorry for Margaret but not too much bothered by her reception of
such scandal if it came to her. It was only local scandal.
“The worst of it,” said Helen to Gage, “is tying Gregory Macmillan up
that way just as they were about to announce his marriage. I telephoned
Freda’s father this afternoon for I was going to tell him you had had a
business letter from her and knew where she was. It seemed wise. But
anyway he had just heard from her too. He was so happy, poor fellow. Now
to have this nasty scandal about his son-in-law will be another blow. I shall
go to see him and tell him that it’s an utter lie. I know from what Margaret
told me that there never was a thing between her and Macmillan.”
Mr. Thorstad had already taken the matter up with Elihu Robinson. He
had called him what he was and his white faced indignation was something
the editor preferred to submit to without resistance. But he was not without
trumps as usual.
“But who is your authority for saying that Macmillan was implicated
with this lady?” asked Mr. Thorstad, angrily.
He had not told that Macmillan was his son-in-law and the editor
wondered at his defense of Macmillan.
“My dear fellow,” he said with that touch of apologetic and righteous
concern with which he always met such attacks. “My dear fellow, your wife
told me that.”
CHAPTER XXII
THE MOURNERS
RESPITE
They spent a week in Mohawk and because Gregory found that Mr.
Thorstad knew Irish history with unexpected profundity and sympathy he
was content to spend much time with his father-in-law. They met on many
points, in the simplicity of their minds, the way they wound their thoughts
around simple philosophies instead of allowing the skeins of thought to
tangle—in the uncorrupted and untempted goodness of them both and their
fine appreciation of freedom—the freedom which in Mr. Thorstad had bade
his daughter seek life and in Gregory had tried to unloose the rigors of
Margaret Duffield. Gregory did not talk so much to Mrs. Thorstad. He was
apt, in the midst of some flight of hers, to look a little bewildered and then
become inattentive. She, however, took it for genius. The chastening which
she had suffered after that mistake of blackening Gregory’s name in
connection with Margaret had still some effect. She was anxious to wipe
that error out and to that end she worked very hard to establish the fame and
name of Gregory. His books were spread over the library table and she had
already, in characteristic method, started a book of clippings about him.
She spent a good deal of time with Freda. Freda was rather more gentle
than she had been, and interested honestly in many of the details of child
bearing that her mother dragged up from her memory on being questioned.
If Mrs. Thorstad felt disappointment in Freda, she tried very honestly to
conceal it but now and again there cropped out an involuntary trace of the
superiority which she as a modern woman was bound to feel over a
daughter who took so little interest in the progress of politics and listened so
much to her husband’s talk. She spoke of it once only and most tactfully.
“You must be careful not to be a reactionary, my dear. You are going
from the land of freedom and the land in which women are rising to every
dignity, to a country which may be—of course is bound to be—
comparatively unenlightened. I hope indeed that you have your children.
Two—or even three children—are very desirable. But you must not forget
that every woman owes a duty to herself in development and in keeping
abreast of the times which may not be neglected. I don’t want to hurt you,
dear. Of course I myself am perhaps a little exceptional in the breadth of my
outlook. But it is not personal ambition. It is for the sex. Did I tell you that
Mrs. Flandon talked to me when she saw me in St. Pierre about doing much
of the state organizing for the Republican women? She says she needs some
of my organizing ability. I shall help her of course. In fact I hope I may be
able to prevail upon your father to apply for a position at the University in
St. Pierre. I feel we have rather outgrown Mohawk.”
“But, mother, that means an instructorship again for father, and it’s a step
backward.”
“Not exactly that. Think of the advantages of living in the city—the
cultural advantages. And there is a great field open in municipal politics. I
have some strong friends there—and one gentleman—an editor—even went
so far as to say there might be a demand for me in public life in St. Pierre, if
I established residence there.”
“It would be pretty rough on father to pull up stakes here—”
The hint came again.
“My dear child, you must not be a reactionary. I do not like to see you
start out your married life with the idea of subordinating your life as an
individual to a husband, no matter how beloved he may be. It is not wise
and it is not necessary. Look back over our life. Have I ever for one moment
failed in my duty towards the home or towards my husband or child and has
it not been possible at the same time for me to keep progress before me