GMDS5113 Quantitative Techniques And Decision Making Assignment MID-TERM JULY 2025 | UniRazak

Instructions to Candidates

(Please change the instruction according to your subject)*:

• Please answer FIVE (5) Questions Only*
• Type your answers in Times New Roman Font 12 with 1.5 Spacing.
• Submit the answer’s soft copy through the course’s UROX platform.
• The similarity index should be less than 20%.
• You must provide the latest (2020 onwards) in-text citations and references, APA style.
• There is no word or page limit.
• You are required to submit the final assessment on time. No reason for late submission will be accepted.

Plagiarism / Originality of the Contribution

(Excerpt from Item 17.0, Unirazak Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Programmes)

Plagiarism refers to the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author without acknowledgment, and to represent it as one’s own original work in fulfilling an academic requirement, such as in assignments, dissertations, and theses.
This also includes any usage of AI tools such as ChatGPT or any similar tools.
A Student who committed plagiarism will be penalized based on a decision made by the Faculty Academic Committee.
Details of the prohibition against plagiarism can be found in the Unirazak Student Regulations Book.

Examination Misconduct

(Excerpt from Item 21.4.2, Unirazak Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Programmes)

(1) A student who has committed misconduct or academic wrongdoing can be charged with Academic misconduct according to the University and College University Act, 1971, Regulations of the University (Students' Disciplinary).

a) Giving, receiving, or possessing notes or some other materials in various forms relevant to the course during the examination inside and outside of the exam hall

(2) If the student is found guilty of misconduct by the Faculty Academic Committee and pending the approval of the Senate, the student can be penalized as follows:

a) Receive a ZERO (0) mark for the examination

OR

b) Receive a ZERO (0) mark for the course

OR

c) Receive a ZERO (0) mark for all registered courses for the semester

OR

d) Suspended from study for a duration specified by the Senate.

3) Students who are caught breaching the Examination Rules and Regulations will be charged with Academic Dishonesty. If found guilty of the offence, the maximum penalty is expulsion from the University.

Questions

Quantitative Analysis – Retail Checkout (20 marks)

Case: A supermarket chain in Kuala Lumpur faces long queues at checkout counters, leading to frequent customer complaints. Management wants to evaluate options such as opening more counters, introducing self-checkout machines, or implementing mobile payment systems.

Question: Using the quantitative analysis approach, explain how you would (a) clearly define the problem and (b) develop a model to test these solutions before implementation.

Implementation Challenge – HR Analytics (20 marks)

Case: A large services company adopted HR analytics software to reduce employee turnover. However, many managers prefer “gut feelings,” and employees are reluctant to use the new system. As a result, the system is underutilized.

Question: Explain why the implementation stage is often the most difficult in quantitative analysis. Propose two strategies the company can apply to overcome resistance and ensure successful adoption.

Customer Feedback Data – Measurement Scale (20 marks)

Case: A mobile app company collects user ratings on app performance with the options: Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, Excellent. The marketing team wants to calculate the average rating to report to investors.

Question: Identify the measurement scale of this data. Discuss whether calculating the mean is appropriate and suggest alternative analysis methods.

Sales Data – Descriptive Statistics (20 marks)

Case: Three branches of a retail store recorded monthly sales as follows:

Branch A: 12,000; 12,500; 13,000
Branch B: 8,000; 15,000; 20,000
Branch C: 10,500; 10,700; 10,600

Question: For each branch, recommend the most suitable measure of central location and measure of dispersion. Justify your choice and explain the managerial insights from the comparison.

Probability Distribution – Factory Quality Control (20 marks)

Case: A factory produces 1,000 units per day, with an average of 10 defective units daily. The management is considering whether to hire additional quality inspectors.

Question: Would this situation follow a discrete or continuous probability distribution? Explain your reasoning and show how this distribution could guide decisions about hiring more inspectors.

Decision Under Uncertainty – ESG Investment (20 marks)

Case: A manufacturing company is choosing between two projects:

Project A (Solar Energy): High long-term benefits if customers value sustainability, but uncertain demand.
Project B (Coal Plant Upgrade): Lower risk and cost savings, but potential negative impact on brand image.

Question:

Apply the Maximin and Maximax approaches to this decision. Which option would better align with the company’s ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) commitments?

Decision Under Risk – Startup Market Expansion (20 marks) Case: A startup is deciding whether to expand into:

Market X: 70% chance of moderate profit (RM500,000), 30% chance of loss (RM200,000).
Market Y: 50% chance of high profit (RM1,000,000), 50% chance of loss (RM600,000).

Question:

Using Expected Monetary Value (EMV), determine which market is financially preferable.
Explain how Sensitivity Analysis could help the startup prepare for uncertain future market changes

Rubric for Answering Mid-Term Questions (20 Marks Each)

The following rubric provides a clear structure for answering the five questions related to Quantitative Techniques & Decision Making.