BUU11530 Quantitative Methods for Business

(10 ECTS)

Lecturer:

Dr. Supriya Kapoor

Email: Supriya.kapoor@tcd.ie
Office Hours: By appointment

Businesses rely on insights of managers and managers gain their insights by carefully and scientifically analysing data. This fundamental quantitative course aims to provide students with the necessary skills and techniques to be able to analyse data, make inferences and make better decisions. This module introduces students to essential quantitative techniques in mathematics and statistics that are fundamental for business decision-making.

It provides a foundation for solving practical business problems and making informed decisions based on data analysis. Practical exercises, case studies, and real-world applications are emphasized to ensure students can apply these quantitative methods confidently in professional environments. This module is essential for students aiming for careers in finance, economics, management, and related fields, where quantitative skills are crucial for success.

We aim to achieve the learning outcomes in this module over the two-semesters. This course would have a substantial hands-on nature i.e. we would be learning theoretical techniques as well as implementing them on real data. We would use Excel as a software of choice for this purpose.We would also, from time to time, discuss other relevant software and tools for such statistical analysis.

Learning and Teaching Approach

This module entails one 2-hour lecture block and 1 tutorial hour per week.Week by week topics to be discussed are provided in module outline below.

The tutorials would run as a supplement to the content covered in lectures where we shall practice the problems and test the theories. We also intend to use the tutorial to brush up some fundamental mathematical concepts that may be required for successful completion of the module and program, in general.

We would also be sharing with you videos and other material to assist and complement the topics covered in class.

The module intends to prepare the students for a career in business and management by providing them with tools and techniques to understand and analyse data. After successfully completing this module, students would be able to:

1. Appreciate the role of data driven insights generation in real world situations.
2. Understand and process unstructured data through descriptive and explorative mechanisms.
3. Understand and apply mathematical concepts and techniques in business scenarios.
4. Be able to use Excel for generating insights from real world datasets.
5. Critically analyse and use key statistical concepts in business settings.
6. Understand key challenges and limitations in data-driven decision making.

Workload

We would recommend the following core textbook for the course. We would broadly follow this textbook throughout the course.

• Statistics for Managers Using Microsoft Excel (global edition) – Levine, Stephan and Szabat, Pearson publishers.
• Jacques, Ian. Mathematics for economics and business. Pearson Education, 2006.

1. Essential Quantitative methods- Les Oakshott- Red Globe Press/Mcmillan International.
2. Lee and Peters. Business Statistics using Excel and SPSS, Sage Publishers, with STATLAB 1st Ed 2016.
3. Veal. Business Research Methods – a Managerial Approach, Pearson, multiple copies are available in the TCD Library.

As supplemental training in Excel, we recommend to follow the LinkedIn Learning course Excel Essential Training (Office 365/Microsoft 365) by Dennis Taylor; to access, you may log on from lil.tcd.ie with your credentials and search for the course title.

Student Preparation for the Module

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all the classes as well as tutorials for the module. Medical absences should be communicated to the instructors at earliest.

Preparation

Students should come to the class well prepared. You are expected to come to the class after reading any assigned material for the particular class. Students are also expected to spend sufficient time beyond class-hours (as indicated by course load for the module) to revise and prepare for the classes and assignments. 

COURSE COMMUNICATION

Please note that all course related email communication must be sent from your official TCD email address. Emails sent from other addresses will not be attended to.

The module will be assessed in three parts:

1. In-class exercises (40%)- There would be 4 in-class exercises in lectures mentioned below. These exercises would each carry a 10% weight for a total of 40 % weightage. The in-class assessments would take the form of quiz or in-class problem solving exercise. These would be individual in nature and would be solved and submitted in-class.
2. End of semester 1 Final Exam (30%) : There would be a mid-term assessment that would be comprised of subjective, conceptual and methodological questions. Students would be expected to use the techniques they learnt in class to suggest solutions. Students would also have to defend their choices of the methods based on the statistical theory taught.

The mid-term assessment would be of 2 hr duration. Additional information about the protocol for the exam would be provided closer to the due date.

3. End of semester 2 Final Exam (30%): There would be an end-term assessment that would be comprised of subjective, conceptual and methodological questions involving data about specific business purpose. Students would be expected to use the techniques they learnt in class to suggest solutions for the firm. End term assessment would expect students to use the techniques learnt in the second semester to be applied and insights derived from data. Students would also have to defend their choices of the methods based on the statistical theory taught. The end-term assessment would be of 3 hour duration. Additional information about the protocol for the exam would be provided closer to the due date.

Biographical Note:

Dr. Supriya Kapoor is an Assistant Professor in Finance at the Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin and a Research Affiliate at the Central Bank of Ireland. She holds a PhD in Financial Economics from University College Dublin and an MSc in Economics from Trinity College Dublin. Dr. Kapoor did her undergraduate degree in B.A.(Hons) Economics  from Delhi University, India.

Dr. Kapoor's primary research focus is on macro-finance with an emphasis on monetary policy, banking and firm behaviour that involves examining the interplay between large-scale economic policies and the actions of financial institutions and non-financial corporations. She has published her work in high-quality leading international journals including Journal of Banking and Finance, Small Business Economics and International Journal of Central Banking, among others. Most of her ongoing research papers are empirical in nature with strong theoretical foundations and implications for monetary and regulatory policies. She contributes to the field by producing high quality and impactful research outputs by focusing on the implications of various asset purchase programmes, unconventional and conventional monetary policy on real economy. Dr. Kapoor has successfully collaborated on projects (ongoing and completed) with researchers at the Central Bank of Ireland, European Central Bank, Banque de France, Sveriges Riksbank, Queen Mary University of London and University of Essex. She has also been a funded Visiting Scholar at the Banque de France and Sveriges Riksbank. In March 2024, Dr. Kapoor has been appointed as a Research Affiliate at the Macro-Finance Division of Central Bank of Ireland.

In terms of teaching, Dr. Kapoor teaches Introduction to Finance and Financial Markets and Institutions, and Financial Management on the UG Programme and Introductory Finance on the MSc Operations and Supply Chain Management as well as Entrepreneurial Finance on the Flexible Executive MBA. In 2024, the Trinity Business School launched a new module BUU33760 Financial Markets and Institutions and Dr. Kapoor has successfully designed and delivered the module. She has previously taught a range of undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Economics and Finance at University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Maynooth and Dublin City University (Business School), thus bringing her total teaching experience to more than six years at leading universities in Ireland. Prior to joining TCD, Dr. Kapoor was an Assistant Lecturer in Finance at the Technological University Dublin.

Apart from research and teaching, Dr. Kapoor engages in pioneering ideas and offering innovative insights in finance and macroeconomics as a thought leader. Specifically, she has contributed non-academic articles to The Conversation, MeJudice and has participated in a podcast, 'The Why Curve' where she spoke to the audiences on the role of central banks and inflation.