Assignment 1

(worth 30% of the overall assessment)

Instructions

Word limit is 1000 words excluding graphs and figures.

Submission deadline:  Jan 19, 2024, at 9am

Please provide your responses beneath each question. You can also paste Excel graphs, figures, and any other relevant excel output directly into each corresponding question.

Answer all Questions.

QUESTION 1 [10 marks]

Introduction

Established in 2005 in Western Sydney, Portable Electronics is a well-known technology retailer that offers a diverse range of products, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, and gaming consoles. Over the years, the company has noticed fluctuations in the sales of specific laptop brands. In response, the CEO, Emily Wooldridge, decided to strategize and analyse market dynamics.

To conduct a comprehensive analysis, Emily collaborated with her newly recruited graduate trainee, Adam. Together, they gathered nationwide sales data for the top 10 laptop brands for the years 2019 and 2021, aiming to understand how the market shares of different brands have evolved.

Data

Sales data for the top 10 laptop brands in 2019 and 2021 are available in the file Electronics_Sales.xlsx. Adam ensured consistency by focusing on the same top 10 laptop brands, excluding certain brands affected by market shifts.

Analysis

• Identify the type of data Adam collected for various laptop brands (1 mark).
• Comment on the total sales of laptops in 2019 and 2021(1 mark).
• Present the sales of the top 10 laptop brands in 2019 and 2021 using a relevant chart. Offer a concise comparison of brand-specific sales changes between 2019 and 2021 (max 150 words) (2 marks).
• Utilize a suitable chart to illustrate the market share of the top 10 laptop brands in 2019. Discuss notable market leaders (1 mark).
• Considering the market shares presented in part (d), advise Emily on the top 5 laptop brands based on the 2019 market share (1 mark).
• Use an appropriate chart to showcase the market share of the top 10 laptop brands in 2021. Analyse changes in market share between 2019 and 2021. Provide insights into the top 5 brands for Emily to consider, considering potential differences between the two years (max 150 words) (3 marks).
• Assess the appropriateness of making business decisions based on the 2021 sales data (1 mark).

QUESTION 2 [10 marks]

Portable Electronics computer retail dealer claims that the average battery life of laptops in their store is at least 10 hours. To test this claim, a random sample of 30 laptops is selected, and their battery lives are recorded. The sample mean battery life is found to be 9.5 hours with a standard deviation of 1.2 hours.

Conduct a hypothesis test at a 5% significance level to determine if there is enough evidence to support the dealer’s claim.

QUESTION 3 [10 marks]

Carbon emissions and energy consumption are critical components of the global conversation about environmental sustainability and climate change. As the world grapples with the repercussions of rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, demand for energy continues to rise, with fossil fuel combustion providing the majority of the supply. Because of this reliance on nonrenewable resources, carbon emissions have increased significantly, contributing to the greenhouse effect and eventual climate change. As a result, there is a rising need to shift towards cleaner, more sustainable energy sources in order to reduce the global impact of carbon emissions. Understanding the complex relationship between carbon emissions and energy consumption is critical for developing successful policies to combat climate change, boost renewable energy adoption, and encourage a more sustainable and resilient society.

Assuming the role of a Research Analyst in an international business policy research institute dedicated to investigating the nexus between carbon emissions and energy, your current assignment involves analysing data to ascertain the relationship between energy usage and CO₂ emissions. You have been granted access to a comprehensive global time series dataset compiled by the World Bank, conveniently available in an Excel file (Energy_data.xlsx) accessible through the assessment section on the course website. Your specific tasks include:

• Use a suitable graphical technique to depict the behaviour of the data (or each variable) over time (3 marks).

• Use a graphical technique to determine whether there is a linear relationship between Energy use and CO₂ emissions. On the plot, insert the trend line and the coefficient of determination R². Interpret the slope coefficient of the trend line and comment on the fitness of the model (7 marks).

END OF THE ASSIGNMENT