WGU C207 Data-Driven Decision Making Exam Questions and Answers (2022/2023) (Verified Answers)

Descriptive
Past data only; Not predicting or optimizing

Predictive
Past to predict the future; Predicting, no optimizing

Prescriptive
Past to predict the future and optimizing

Omission
Missing information

Out of Range
Doesn’t match the data or not true

Reliable
Constant and repeatable. A measure of the instrument

Valid
Measures what is intended to be measured

Measurement bias
Includes representative sample, random, large enough sample

Information bias
Ignore the purpose of the information collection; not truthful answers

Big Data
Both structure and unstructured; to large to process using traditional database and software techniques

Data mining
Process of discovering pattern in large data sets

Why collect big data?
Used to encourage buying behavior

Analytics
the extensive use of data, statistical and quantitative analysis, explanatory and predictive models, and fact-based management to drive decisions and and add value

Variable
An expression that can be assigned to data

Continuous data
Data that can lay along any point in a range of data (age 22.6 old)

Discrete data
Whole values only and clear boundaries

Nominal data
Categorical data used to label subjects in a study; discrete (male female)

Ordinal data
Allows you to place objects on some in some kind of order according to some quality; discrete (black belts 3rd degree higher than 1st degree)

Interval data
has order; all objects are equal interval apart; no natural zero point and zero does not represent the absence of the property measured; Continuous (time, date, temperature)

Ratio data
Has a unique zero point – numbers can be compared as multiples of one another, continuous (income, stock, repeat customers)

Observational studies
used when impractical and impossible to control the conditions of the study

Prospective cohort study
Observe people going forward in time from the time of their entry into the study

Experimental studies
All variable measurements and manipulations are under researcher’s control.

Experimental studies: Experimental units
Subjects or objects under observations

Experimental studies: Experimental treatments
Procedure applied to each subject

Experimental studies: Responses
Effects of the experimental treatments

1st step of statistical experiment
Identify the experimental units from which you want to measure something

2nd step of statistical experiment
Id the treatments and controls that you will use on control group

3rd step of statistical experiment
Generate a testable hypothesis

construct validity
study actual measure what is being investigated

content validity
Construct measures what it claims to measure

Internal validity
Biases may have entered the study

Blind study
participants are not told if they are in treatment group or control group

Double blind
neither treatment allocator nor participant know which group participant is in

Triple blind
participant, allocator and response gather do not know which group the participant is in

Random errors
occur because of random and inherently unpredictable events in the measurement process

Correlation
extent or degree of statistical associations among two or more variables

systematic errors
errors in measurement at are constant within a data set, sometimes caused by faulty equipment or bias

Skewness
a measure of the degree to which data “leans” toward one side

Not a truly representative sample
sample not representative of entire population

Response bias
respondents say what they believe the questioner wants to hear

Conscious Bias
When surveyor actively seeks a response; Researcher manipulates phrasing of question

Missing data and refusals
Sample gets lost or subjects refuses to contribute; distorts survey data when demographic is missing, leads to false conclusion

Association and Causation
the mistaken assumption that because two events seem to occur together, one causes the other

Training and test data
Data used to form hypothesis is used again to test hypothsis

Unfounded assumptions
Assumption is made that has not been proven

Faulty operationalization
Occurs when the development of specific research procedures that allow for observation and measurement of abstract concepts is flawed.

Lack of binding
when users fail to place barriers between themselves and subjects and influence behavior

Confidence interval
Range around a sample that has a specific probability of containing the true population mean

Probibility
The chance of event occurring

Vehn diagram
Mathematical sets or events visually

inferential statistics
making predictions and testing theories about a population from a population

Descriptive statistics
Statistics that are used to describe a population from the whole population

Mean
sum of all numbers divided by how many numbers

Median
middle number

Mode
most common number

Deviation score
score minus the mean

Variance
statistical measure of the spread of a set of data. Find difference in data point, plus mean; square them

Range
Take largest number from sample and subtract smallest

Emperical Rule
68.3% of data points will be w/i 1 standard deviation of the mean; 95.4 w/i 2 standard deviations and 95.7 will be w/i 3 standard deviation

z-score
a measure of how many standard deviations you are away from the norm (average or mean)

z-score formula
relay from memory (z-score)

Quartile
each of four equal groups into which a population can be divided

inter-quartile range
measures difference between the third and the first quartile

Outlier
an observation point that is significantly distant from the other data set

Histogram
A graph of vertical bars shows counts or numbers in each range, continuous data.

Bar chart
Measures distribution of discrete data

bivariate charts
have vertical y axis and horizontal x axis that measures 2 variables; independent variable is on the x-axis

hypothesis
Statement or claim about a given population

Null hypothesis
Argument there is no difference between two samples or that a sample has not changed over time

Alternative hypothesis
argument that states that a sample is not equal to the hypothesized null sample

Statistically significant
A result is unlikely to be caused by random variation or error

T-test
a statistical test used to evaluate the size and significance of the difference between two means

one sample t test
Used to determine if a single sample mean is different from a known population mean

Chi-squared test
A hypothesis test that is used to examine the distribution of categorical data

Anova
used to determine if there is a significant difference among three or more means

Regression analysis
A method of predicting sales based on finding a relationship between past sales and one or more independent variables, such as population or income

Time Series Analysis
A forecasting method that uses historical sales data to discover patterns in the firm’s sales over time and generally involves trend, cycle, seasonal, and random factor analyses

Cluster analysis
The process of arranging terms or values based on different variables into “natural” groups

Decision analysis
Weighing all outcomes of a decision to determine the best course of action

Decision tree
a graph of decisions and their possible consequences; it is used to create a plan to reach a goal

Expected value
the sum of each possible outcome of a future event, weighted by its probability of occurring

Dependent value
Value depends on other variables in the equation

Independent value
variables presumed to influence the dependent value

Auto correlation
the correlation of current demand values with past demand values

Homoscedasticity
A regression in which the variances in y for the values of x are equal or close to equal

Heteroscedasticity
A regression in which the variances in y for the values of x are not equal

Linear programming
mathematical technique used to find a maximum or minimum of equations; used for time, money space

Crossover analysis
Allows a decision maker to identify the crossover point, which represents the point at which we are indifferent between the plans.

Trend
General slope upward or downward over long period

Cyclincality
Repetition of up or down movements that follow or counteract a business cycle that can last several years

Seasonality
Regular pattern of volatility, usually within a single year.

irregularity
One-time deviations unforeseen

Random variation
Variability of a process caused by irregular fluctuations that cannot be anticipated, detected or eliminated .

Quality Management Principle
Business paradigm that focuses on production / service quality and the means to achieve it

Plan-Do-Check-Act
Four step method for testing hypothesis and solving problems

PDCA: Plan
Step 1 id problem and develop plans to solve

PDCA: Do
Step 2 Run an experiment to see if plans will work on small scale before implementing

PDCA: Check
Step 3 Analyze the results, make improvements

PDCA: ACT
Step 4 Enact change on large scale in normal operations

Quality control
Process such as statistical sample that monitors the quality of operations

Quality assurance
The function responsible for providing assurances that products or services are consistently maintained at a high level of quality.

SIPOC
Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, Customers

SIPOC diagram
A diagram that defines the boundaries of a process and shows how its Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers affect process quality.

Statistical process control
methods that rely on statistics and measurements to monitor work and analyze improvements to processes.

Metrics
Measurements that allow teams to gauge results objectively.

Attribute data
Data that shows whether a result meets a requirement or not (yes/no, pass/fail).

Variable data
Data that shows how well a result meets a requirement, often shown on a scale or as a rating.

Common cause variations
Variations in quality that arise from random natural differences users will tolerate

Special Cause Variation
Abnormal variation that is not a natural part of a process.

Control limits
The area composed of three standard deviations on either side of the centerline or mean of a normal distribution of data plotted on a control chart, which reflects the expected variation in the data.

The run chart
tool for tracking results over a period of time, uncover trends or aberrations

The control chart
A modified run chart that also provides upper and/or lower limits that a process should not exceed.

Cause & effect diagram
A decomposition technique that helps trace an undesirable effect back to its root cause.

Flowchart
Graphic representation of the steps that make up a process (redundancies & problems)

The Check Sheet
Structured form used to count how many times an event or problem happen

Pareto Chart
a bar graph whose bars are drawn in decreasing order of frequency or relative frequency

Lean
Eliminate anything that does not add value for customers or satisfy their needs; View is from customer

Six Sigma
Application of metrics and statistic to evaluate and control the variation found

Lean six-sigma
Combines leans enhancement on customer value with six-sigma optimization of work

ISO Certification
Internationally recognized standards that ensure a company’s goods, services, and operations meet established quality levels and its operations minimize harm to the environment.

Index numbers
measure the change in quantity or price over time for a good or a number of goods and services

Consumer price index
an index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer

Base period
A period in time used as a point of reference when being compared to other time periods.

Simple index number
shows the change in price or quantity of a single good or service over time

Simple index formula
formula for simple index

Simple composite index
created when a researcher gathers data from many different sources without weighing any data more significantly than any other data

Epidemiology
the study of the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases

rate
measure of an event occurring over a period of time

Prevalence
fraction of a population having a specific disease at a given time

Incidence
The number or rate of new cases of a particular condition during a specific time.

cumulative incidence
The incidence calculated using a period of time during which all of the individuals in the population are considered to be at risk for the outcome

Incidence rate
number of people contracting a disease during a time period

Net promoter score
A management tool designed to collect data indicating the relative loyalty of customers and their willingness to recommend a company’s products or services.

R-squared
goodness of fit

Analytics is a board term that refers to a variety of tools that inform managerial decisions. Which term can be used to describe managerial decisions?
Prescriptive

What are two reasons for increasing use of analytics in organizational decision-making? Choose 2 Answers
Relatively lower cost of computer storage
Higher computer processing power

How does probability theory inform decision-making for managers?
By quantifying risk

Which type of data are the Olympic medals of gold, silver, and bronze examples of?
Ordinal data

What are two aspects of data quality management? Choose 2 answers
It reduces the amount of incomplete data
It cleans data

Which two attributes indicate potential data quality issues when evaluating a set of nominal data? Choose 2 answers
Missing data
Misspelled data

When conducting a study that measures an individual’s weight, all scales are calibrated prior to use in measurement. Which type of error should this procedure significantly reduce?
Systematic error

An advertising manager creates a research study by presenting low, medium, or high frequency of the same ad in matched markets. The manager then reports on sales in each market location. What is the term for the different sales in this study?
Response variable

A healthcare study follows a particular sample over time to identify how the health habits of teenagers impact their likelihood of acquiring various diseases later in their life. The healthcare organization hopes this data will allow them to create early prevention programs. Which type of research design does this study describe?
Cohort study

Several missing values in a particular field in a dataset were observed. The likelihood of a record having a missing value is correlated to another variable in the dataset. Which two types of error might be introduced into the dataset if the removed record included missing values? Choose 2 answers
Systematic error
Omission error

A company is trying to increase its online sales revenue by improving its email advertising campaign for repeat customers as well as new customers. Which two variables would be used in determining a campaign to maximize revenue gain? Choose 2 answers
Number of purchases per email
Spending per purchase

A company that raises turkeys is hoping to increase the rate of growth of the turkeys while controlling the cost of feeding them. It has determined that feeds containing both nutrients and proteins can be used. Which decision-making technique is most appropriate for this company to minimize the cost of feeding the birds?
Linear programming

Match each actions with the appropriate statistical procedure
Answer options may be used more than once
ANOVA- Compare outcomes of different drug testing results

Correlation- Understand effective marketing to spend advertising dollars efficiently

Control Charts- Monitor production process

A researcher concludes that bananas create healthy children because the researcher’s notes indicate that children who eat a banana every day are healthy.
What misuse of statistics would this study be an example of if these children also eat a balanced diet and exercise daily?
Confusion of association and causality

In the month of December, there is a strong positive correlation between airline ticket sales and retail sales. Which question should the researcher consider before concluding that the correlation statistic implies that airline sales drive retail sales?
Does a causal relationship truly exist?

A medical care provider determines the probability that a patient needs treatment for a broken bone, the probability that a patient needs treatment for a concussion, and the probability that a patient needs treatment for both a broken bone and concussion. Which two techniques apply in finding the probability that a patient needs treatment for a broken bone and a concussion? Choose 2 answers
Intersection
Multiplication principle

A hardware store has found that there is a 0.25 probability that a customer buys and electrical product, a 0.45 probability that a customer buys a plumbing product, and a 0.10 probability that a customer buys an electrical product if they purchase a plumbing product. Which statistical rule can be used to determine the probability that a customer buys a plumbing product given that this customer has purchased an electrical product?
Bayes’ theorem

Given the following data set:
9,12,14,10,8,11,12
What is the mode?
12

Which graphical tool is used to illustrate a possible relationship or correlation between two variables?
Scatterplot

What does it mean when an individual data point has a z-score of -2?
The data point is two standard deviations less than the mean of the data set

A research study examined the impact of product advertisement exposure on the product’s brand awareness. The appropriate statistical test indicates that the null hypothesis should be rejected at the 5% significance level. What can be concluded from this study?
The advertisement was effective in building brand awareness

A manager analyzes a data set that includes information on individual incomes. The manager knows that the data set is fairly representative of the general population and includes several millionaires. Based on this data set, which measure of central tendency best represents the middle of the distribution?
Median

After evaluating manufacturing times for a particular product, a manager determines that the times are spread out across the distribution. The manager has been asked to determine how far, on average, the time is from the mean. Which statistic roughly measures the average distance of a data point from the mean of the distribution?
Standard Deviation

A nonprofit organization ran an email campaign with three different messages to solicit additional donations. What should the nonprofit organization use to determine if the average donation differs for the different messages?
ANOVA

A manager of a call center is in charge of creating a staffing plan. The number of calls received per day is normally distributed. Which two statistics would be needed to estimate the number of calls that would be received 95% of the time? Choose 2 answers
Standard Deviation
Mean

a manager uses a linear regression to examine how the store’s retail sales are predicted by advertising expenditures. Which type of variable do retail sales represent in this regression?
Dependent Variable

An analyst used multiple linear regression to explore how Store A’s sales (y) are predicted by Store A’s advertising expenditure dollars (variable x1) and the advertising expenditure dollars of Store A’s competitor (variable x2).
The estimated regression is y= 532 + 80.5 x1 – 35.6 x2.
How much sales would be predicted if x1 is $1,000 and x2 is also $1,000?
$45,432

A company decides to auction excess inventory on an auction website. The company has performed a regression analysis to identify how the length of the auction impacts the final price. Which statistic indicates the strength of the relations hip between the length of the auction and final price?
R-squared

A researcher looks at moving average data on store sales and wishes to perform a multiple regression of interest rates and disposable income. What is a particular concern when performing time series multiple regression?
Autocorrelation

A retail store notices a spike in turkey sales every November. Which time series pattern are turkey sales likely to exhibit?
Seasonal

A researcher wants to predict student test scores based on hours spent studying. Which type of regression would be more appropriate?
Ordinary least squares regression

A doctoral student is surveying chief executive officers (CEOs) to understand their relationships with their governing boards. The student receives responses to a survey with 10 questions that rates the respective relationships. Why would the student measure the standard deviation of repsonses?
To measure the spread of the data

A doctoral student surveys chief executive officers (CEOs) to understand their relationships with their governing boards. The student determines the years of business experience for each CEO as well as their rating, on a 10-point scale, of satisfaction with the governing board. Which statistical approach should be used to display the data for the analysis?
Scatterplot

Which two decision considerations describe fact- based decisions-making, according to the quality management principles? Choose 2 answers
Decisions reduce external bias
Decisions foster trust in plans

Which two statements describe how the dedication of leadership and a focus on process enhance quality? Choose 2 answers
It ensures clearly aligned goals
It makes results easier to manage and achieve

An organization is concerned about whether quality control standards are being met and develops a strategy to test quality control metrics. Which step does this represent in the plan-do-check-act cycle?
Plan

Which phrase is a description of quality assurance?
Focuses on training

A joint venture is established between two firms to use their core competencies to increase their market share. How would a SIPOC (supplier, inputs, process, outputs, and customers) diagram benefit the joint venture?
Provides a holistic view of the entire operation

Ina statistical process control analysis, sample data are collected from an assembly line and measured to see if they fall within a tolerated measurement range. If an observation does fall within the range, a “yes” is recorded. If it falls outside the range, a “no” is recorded. Which kind of data do the “yes” and “no” represent?
Attribute data

A soft-drink manufacturer performs a control chart analysis and the results indicate that the soft-drink bottles are consistently under-filled by a large amount according to specifications. The system was evaluated three months prior and was determined to be stable and filling bottles within accepted limits.
What is this consistent under-filling an example of?
Special cause variation

Which of Ishikawa’s seven basic tools of quality is used to illustrate performance measurements over time?
Run Chart

A college is reviewing statistics concerning student retention. The college would like to determine the most important factors that cause students to leave. The college asks a researcher to display this information using one of the seven basic tools of quality. Which tool should be used in this case?
Pareto chart

A check sheet indicates that a 100 returned items, 50 were damaged upon delivery, 30 were the wrong size, 10 were poor quality, 5 were mistaken order, and 5 were returned due to customer no longer wanting the item. What is the appropriate way to represent these data?
Construct a Pareto chart

A hotel chain is interested in improving its customer service by reducing the amount of time it takes customers to check in. Which analysis technique should they use?
Flowchart

Which approach focuses on eliminating activities that fail to add value or satisfy customers?
Lean Operations

An organization develops a new strategic plan and seeks ways to measure its performance over a specific period of time. Which system enables the organization to measure performance based upon established global standards?
ISO

Which approach uses financial, customer, internal business processes, and innovation/learning measures?
Balance scorecard

Which two items represent steps of results-based management?
Define Resources
Study the long term effects of the output

What is a description of data mining?
It discovers patterns or trends in large data sets

Which common analytic measure is used to improve business performance?
Simple composite index

A national manufacturer is building an overseas factory to be closer to one of its largest markets. Which analysis technique would be appropriate when evaluating location options under risk in order to strengthen the firm’s competitiveness in the new market?
Develop a decision tree

What is the most important analytic to determine the success of failure of a particular year’s flu vaccine?
Incidence accounting for all new case

The management for Hospital A conducted a survey of its patients’ opinions including gathering demographic data to determine which programs should be pursued during the upcoming fiscal year. Upon analyzing the response on the need for a cosmetic surgery program for the hospital, it was found that there was an r score of 0.75, and a p of 0.03 between a patient’s income level and support for the creation of a cosmetic surgery department. What is an effective strategic decision based on an analysis of the given information?
There is a strong positive relationship for a cosmetic surgery program as a function of income, and this program should be developed in high income areas

What does True Score Theory state about a test without systematic error?
The observed score is the true score plus random error

The average test score of students taking an exam was 70% with standard deviation of 8.5%. Which tool should be used to compare a student’s score to the group average?
Z-score

What is true cost-effective analysis?
It analyzes the cost of achieving a quantifiable goal

A county government must reduce spending. It wishes to eliminate incremental budgeting and align budget allocations with each of its units’ strategic business objectives. How can the county apply data analytic approaches to attain this goal?
By benchmarking like strategies of successful counties.

A county government wishes to convert government vehicles from gasoline to natural gas. How can the county evaluate the effectiveness of the conversion?
By estimating the payback period

How can organizations implement an effective performance management evaluation system?
By establishing a balanced scorecard

Which key performance indicator can a hotel chain use to measure its ability to meet client tastes and perferences?
Survey customer satisfaction upon checkout

How do balanced scorecards differ from KPI dashboards?
KPI dashboards provide visual representation of KPIs, such as charts and graphs

What is a significant disadvantage of KPIs?
They require significant ongoing maintenance

What is a disadvantage of a balanced scorecard?
It requires significant time and effort to establish a meaningful scorecard.

In what ways are KPI dashboards useful in performance assessment? Choose 2 answers
They are visual representations of key areas of focus
They show trends that represent organizational results over time

A professional services firm is undergoing a business process improvement exercise to improve productivity, staff morale, and client satisfaction. Which technique should the firm use to evaluate the strength of customer service relations?
Net promoter score

A professional services firm wants to track and monitor important financial performance measures of the company (e.g., year-over-year change in revenues and profits). Which performance approach would meet the company’s objective?
Results-based management

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top