Module Directory

This module aims to provide some basic understanding to the wide variety of techniques available for analysis in business management, especially relevant in today's data driven society, where large, complex data sets are ubiquitous.

The aims of this module are:

• To provide a broad understanding of what quantitative techniques can offer towards analysis of basic data sets. 


• An appreciation of basic quantitative methods can help collate and organize simple data sets.


• An introduction to visual and analytical methods of inspection of data which can provide insights otherwise difficult to obtain.


• To provide hands on exercises with basic but critical analytical tools such as MS Excel and statistical software such as R, SPSS, Stata, SAS, which can be easily used for basic data analysis.


• Basic statistical concepts such central tendency, variation, distributions, correlations.


• Basic mathematical concepts such as algebraic manipulation, solving simple equations, graphing and coordinate geometry, standard functional forms.

By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:

1. Develop critical understanding of why quantitative methods are important and where they are relevant.


2. Have basic theoretical and practical knowledge of mathematical concepts required for more advanced quantitative techniques.


3. Have basic theoretical and practical knowledge of statistical techniques which provide the first essential steps in analysing larger data sets.


4. Judge and differentiate between different quantitative techniques, and what kind of problems are suited to which type of techniques.

Quantitative methods are an essential feature of research and practise in all fields of social sciences, including business and management studies. However, the term encompasses a wide range of methodologies, techniques and analytical paradigms, each of which is relevant for specific problems, specific areas and disciplines.

Students will be provided an orientation on thinking and analysing quantitatively, given a basic understanding of where and how quantitative methods are relevant and what tools are available in order to carry out very basic analysis. It would also include a primer on basic mathematical and numerical concepts, which would be crucial for other modules and courses being taught in the business school.

This module will be delivered via:

• One lecture per week.
• One seminar per week.

The lectures will be developed around the key theoretical concepts of quantitative methods. It will also address the issue of multiplicity of analytical requirements when it concerns actual practical applications, and hence will provide a rounded view of how to choose between different methodologies, based on the nature of the question posed as well as nature of available data.

The seminars will focus on practical aspects of using the material taught in lectures for solving real life problems. They will use freely available datasets in addition to established software toolkits, at a very basic level, understanding the results of such analysis and evaluating them in the context of business problems.