Discussion 2.1
According to the article by Manikandan (2011), one of the highly used methods for organizing data is the use of frequency distribution. The author describes a frequency distribution as an organized graphical or tabular representation of numerical data in each dataset on a scale of measurement. It allows convenient organization and viewing of the data. It can also show whether data is low or high or concentrated in one area or spread throughout the scale. Frequency distribution, therefore, represents a picture of the distribution of independent observations in a measurement scale.
According to the article, frequency distribution can be displayed in the form of frequency tables which shows various measurement categories and the observations made in each group. Its construction requires that one should have a range which is divided into class intervals. A frequency distribution graph is another form of presentation. It involves the illustration of the information in a chart. A histogram represents data in a graphical manner where the variables are placed on the x-axis while the frequencies are displayed on the y-axis.
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A frequency polygon is another way of presenting frequency distribution. It is constructed by joining the midpoints of the apex of the bars of the histogram using a straight line yet the bars are not displayed. It is useful in comparing two frequency distributions. In case the frequency is significant and the intervals are narrow, joining the midpoints of the histogram results in a smooth curve which is called a frequency curve. A box and whisker plot is also used to illustrate frequency distribution.
The article by Manikandan (2011) investigates the pulse rate in a sample of 63 healthy volunteers. The class interval for the data is divided into five starting from 60 to 99. The frequencies in each class are recorded plus the cumulative and relative cumulative frequency. The statistics were helpful in communicating the purpose of the article and enable further understanding of frequency distribution.
Discussion 2.2
In an organization, there are different uses of data from various sources. Any business generates data in its operations may it be the number of faulty products, daily sales data, supplies, employee wages, or even turn over time taken to complete a task or accounting and finance data. Data has different uses in an organization depending on its king. The most critical function of data is decision making. Data can be manipulated to gain insight and help the management in making timely and informed decisions.
The sales department regularly works with sales data which is usually in the form of quantitative data. However, there are instances when the unit deals with qualitative data especially if they are dealing with data on consumer behavior or consumer perception. Such data cannot be quantified and therefore must be analyzed using qualitative techniques. The data obtained by the sales department is analyzed to inform the decision on campaign strategies that the company can use, the market share of the company, and the probability of success of new product launch and consumer behavior towards the products of the company.
Statistics are useful in decision making in all organizations irrespective of their sizes. The management relies on data to make an informed decision on the appropriate time to launch a product, determining the probability that a product picked randomly from a production line will have defects. Similarly, statistics can be used to predict the growth in the market share of a company or the reaction of competition following a new product launch. Statistics also help in the determination of the quality of a product. Lastly, statistics are also used in financial analysis.
Reference
Manikandan, S. (2011). Frequency distribution. Journal Of Pharmacology And Pharmacotherapeutics , 2 (1), 54. http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/0976-500x.77120
