Applied decisions methods research proposal
GBA 334
Group Project
Guidelines
Instructions:
The Decision Models term project is fairly flexible in terms of the types of projects that are acceptable.
You may come up with your ow
n project topic or choose from the
list of
topics
below
. In either case,
the
project topic must be approved by the professor. Each group is expected to prepare a full report that
addresse
s all areas noted
below
.
At the discretion of the instructor, this may include (a) make a short
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation to the class
reporting on their
project (18 minutes including Q&A), or (b)
writing a paper.
Either way that is chosen, each group must submit files containing all of the project
–
related materials (e.g.
,
Excel files, PowerPoint presentation files, Word files
, etc.
).
Sample topics include:
Conduct an analysis of a
real
decision problem (personal or managerial) that you are familiar
with.
An analysis of an important decision problem (again,
real
) “in the public domain”.
An experiment involving decision making and decis
ion
–
analytic tools.
Group Selection
:
Students will form into groups of 4 or 5 and notify
the instructor
via course e
–
the names of the group members
no later than Sun
day 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module 2
.
Proposal
:
Submit a Research Proposal for
instructor approval that includes your main variables, any
control variables, how they are labeled, what your value ranges are, your specific data source, and
your tentative research question.
Submit the
r
esearch
p
roposal to your assigned group’s
Dropbox
b
asket
no later than Sun
day 11:59 PM EST/EDT of Module
4
.r.
Possible Project Ideas
:
How does gas mileage depend on the [blank] of the vehicle? [Blank] could be weight, engine size,
seating capacity, size (e.g. compact, sub
–
compact, SUV), etc. There should be multiple predictor
variables included.
How does the gender distribution of grocer store customers depend on [blank]? Here, [blank]could be the day of the week, the time of day, the location of the store, etc.
Is there a relationship between [physical measurement] and [sports performance]. The [physical
measurement] could be hand s
pan, length of inseam, length of foot, etc. The [sports
performance] could be free throw percentage, time for 50m sprint, etc.
Does [measurement] depend on the area of town? The [measurement] could be the average
street width, the distance between fire hy
drants, the width of the yard between the curb and the
sidewalk, etc.
Can [statistic] predict [outcome]? Statistic can be virtually any published statistic for any
professional or amateur sport. Outcome can be wins, playoff appearances, title game
appea
rance, championships, etc.
Are [locations] adequately staffed during peak hours? Using queuing theory, determine if movie
theaters, restaurants, etc. are staffed appropriately.
Does [nutritional content] or other pr
edictor measure(s) of a cereal affect it
s
price?
