Learning objectives
The course provides students with knowledge on the most appropriate tools for the analysis of certain decisional and management problems which, in companies, inevitably have to be handled during conditions of uncertainty and risk. For this reason, statistical techniques can offer an indispensable and scientifically logical approach for their solution. Particular attention is dedicated to sampling techniques for the statistical verification of balance-sheet items and assessment procedures applied to accounting systems during auditing and the certification of company accounts. The question of sampling in opinion polls and market research is also examined briefly. Other subjects examined at an introductory level include a number of statistical problems regarding the choice of an investment project, techniques of market segmentation with particular reference to cluster analysis, and statistical forecasting. During study, the emphasis will be primarily on practical applications, and the techniques most commonly used in the company. A number of case histories will be examined.
Prerequisites
Students have to be familiar with the basic tools of descriptive statistics and statistical inference.
Course unit content
Introductory elements: the information system in the company, basic documentation, and the role of statistics. <br />
Forecasting sales and market demand. <br />
Statistical forecasting methods: forecasts using exogenous methods and the exponential levelling method. <br />
The selection of an investment project, and the economic assessment of an investment. <br />
Decision criteria, and decision trees. <br />
Forming a sample: probability samples and convenience samples in the statistical verification of balance-sheet items, in opinion polls and market research. <br />
Estimation procedures in accounts auditing and the determination of the risk of error. <br />
The use of segmentation techniques in the company. <br />
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Full programme
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Bibliography
<br />
Brasini S., Freo M., Tassinari F. and Tassinari G., Statistica <br />
aziendale e analisi di mercato, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2002, <br />
chapter 1 (excluding paragraph 8), chapter 2 (excluding paragraph 6), chapter 3 (all), chapter 5 (excluding paragraphs 4 and 6), chapter 7 (excluding paragraph 5 and case 3 of paragraph 6). <br />
Teaching methods
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Other information
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