Quantitative Methods: for Business, Management and Finance [Paperback]

'Far too many students steer clear of quantitative methods because they fear that they will be unable to cope with the complexities of statistics and formulae. Louise Swift and Sally Piff have managed to produce a wonderfully clear text that takes students gently through the basic principles behind the most commonly used quantitative methods, simultaneously providing the basis for an understanding of statistical outputs which every researcher requires, regardless of the methods they chose to use in their own work.' -Tony Bryant, Professor of Informatics, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK

'This book is an excellent introduction to the quantitative methods used in business. Swift and Piff succeeded in preparing a well written and comprehensive text book which requires no prior knowledge of statistics and maths. Indeed all the required quantitative background is provided and students may benefit from the abundance of examples, exercises and work cards that will allow them to practice, achieve a high level of understanding of the topics covered in the book as well as confidence in problem solving skills.' -Konstantinos Tolikas, Lecturer in Finance, Cardiff Business School, UK

'Yet again, Swift and Piff have developed and enhanced this essential text, ensuring compatibility with all the latest applications and learning environments. Suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate study, its practical, no-nonsense approach enables genuine understanding of essential quantitative methods for non-mathematicians.

This is a user friendly text for those who struggle with basic concepts and is versatile enough to be useful for those students with a more in depth knowledge of this subject. It lifts the mystery which often surrounds more difficult quantitative concepts for those studying business and finance.

Subjects are broken down into manageable sections with colour coded reinforcement panels, work cards and assessment tasks. The clarity of this layout provides a supportive platform for ease of learning and self study.' -Hilary Feltham, Director of Administration& Student Affairs, ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK

'This new edition of Quantitative Methods has some excellent features. Its four colour text design, companion website and comprehensive range of examples means that it will stay firmly at the top of my reading list for undergraduate Business and Management students.' - Dr. Christina Broomfield, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK

'I highly recommend this textbook as it clearly explains complex mathematical and statistical concepts in a simple, easy to follow manner. Ideally suited to students embarking on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree who in the past have had 'a dislike' for maths, the examples used are relevant and -supplemented with the website - provide an excellent accompaniment to any QM Module. Swift and Piff should be commended for the excellent text which is extremely well written and user friendly. It is also good value for money as the students need only one book to cover most of the topics required at graduate/post graduate level.' - Ann Thapar, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Business Management, Westminster Business School, UK

'This book explains how to solve everythingfrom basic maths to complex real-world problems. It starts with simple additions, builds up with derivates, statistics and culminates with real problems like forecasting, quality control or project scheduling. It uses an accessible language and supports theory with many useful examples. It has several entry points according to the level of the reader and is probably the most appropriate textbook for first year undergraduates on the market today.' - Alessio Ishizaka, Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth, UK

'This is an excellent text that provides a detailed set of notes covering quantitative methods taught in business schools. The book contains plenty of relevant examples, real data sets, and a very good introduction to the use of SPSS in analysing business related data sets.' -Glyn Davis, Principal Lecturer in e-Business and Data Analysis, Teesside University Business School, UK

'This is one of the best statistics textbooks I've read.The way this book combines statistical theory with real data (using SPSS) is excellent.' - Dr. John Simister, Management Department, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK

'There are large numbers of students on business-related courses who need to learn quantitative methods. This book provides a commendably comprehensive coverage of the material which is typically required. In terms of both style and content the authors have clearly given careful thought to the needs of the target audience.' - Malcolm Farrow, Senior Lecturer in Statistics, Newcastle University, UK

'Swift and Piff's book on quantitative analysis holds the hand of even the most timorous and shows them how important it is to correctly use quantitative models and understand statistical concepts in all areas of business.' - Lyn Thomas, Professor of Management Science, University of Southampton, UK

'Far too many students steer clear of quantitative methods because they fear that they will be unable to cope with the complexities of statistics and formulae. Louise Swift and Sally Piff have managed to produce a wonderfully clear text that takes students gently through the basic principles behind the most commonly used quantitative methods, simultaneously providing the basis for an understanding of statistical outputs which every researcher requires, regardless of the methods they chose to use in their own work.' -Tony Bryant, Professor of Informatics, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK 'This book is an excellent introduction to the quantitative methods used in business. Swift and Piff succeeded in preparing a well written and comprehensive text book which requires no prior knowledge of statistics and maths. Indeed all the required quantitative background is provided and students may benefit from the abundance of examples, exercises and work cards that will allow them to practice, achieve a high level of understanding of the topics covered in the book as well as confidence in problem solving skills.' -Konstantinos Tolikas, Lecturer in Finance, Cardiff Business School, UK 'Yet again, Swift and Piff have developed and enhanced this essential text, ensuring compatibility with all the latest applications and learning environments. Suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate study, its practical, no-nonsense approach enables genuine understanding of essential quantitative methods for non-mathematicians. This is a user friendly text for those who struggle with basic concepts and is versatile enough to be useful for those students with a more in depth knowledge of this subject. It lifts the mystery which often surrounds more difficult quantitative concepts for those studying business and finance. Subjects are broken down into manageable sections with colour coded reinforcement panels, work cards and assessment tasks. The clarity of this layout provides a supportive platform for ease of learning and self study.' -Hilary Feltham, Director of Administration& Student Affairs, ICMA Centre, Henley Business School, University of Reading, UK 'This new edition of Quantitative Methods has some excellent features. Its four colour text design, companion website and comprehensive range of examples means that it will stay firmly at the top of my reading list for undergraduate Business and Management students.' - Dr. Christina Broomfield, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK 'I highly recommend this textbook as it clearly explains complex mathematical and statistical concepts in a simple, easy to follow manner. Ideally suited to students embarking on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree who in the past have had 'a dislike' for maths, the examples used are relevant and -supplemented with the website - provide an excellent accompaniment to any QM Module. Swift and Piff should be commended for the excellent text which is extremely well written and user friendly. It is also good value for money as the students need only one book to cover most of the topics required at graduate/post graduate level.' - Ann Thapar, Senior Lecturer and Course Leader for Business Management, Westminster Business School, UK 'This book explains how to solve everythingfrom basic maths to complex real-world problems. It starts with simple additions, builds up with derivates, statistics and culminates with real problems like forecasting, quality control or project scheduling. It uses an accessible language and supports theory with many useful examples. It has several entry points according to the level of the reader and is probably the most appropriate textbook for first year undergraduates on the market today.' - Alessio Ishizaka, Senior Lecturer, University of Portsmouth, UK 'This is an excellent text that provides a detailed set of notes covering quantitative methods taught in business schools. The book contains plenty of relevant examples, real data sets, and a very good introduction to the use of SPSS in analysing business related data sets.' -Glyn Davis, Principal Lecturer in e-Business and Data Analysis, Teesside University Business School, UK 'This is one of the best statistics textbooks I've read.The way this book combines statistical theory with real data (using SPSS) is excellent.' - Dr. John Simister, Management Department, Birkbeck College, University of London, UK 'There are large numbers of students on business-related courses who need to learn quantitative methods. This book provides a commendably comprehensive coverage of the material which is typically required. In terms of both style and content the authors have clearly given careful thought to the needs of the target audience.' - Malcolm Farrow, Senior Lecturer in Statistics, Newcastle University, UK 'Swift and Piff's book on quantitative analysis holds the hand of even the most timorous and shows them how important it is to correctly use quantitative models and understand statistical concepts in all areas of business.' - Lyn Thomas, Professor of Management Science, University of Southampton, UK