Cluster Analysis

Cluster analysis is a statistical technique used to identify how various units -- like people, groups, or societies -- can be grouped together because of characteristics they have in common. Also known as clustering, it is an exploratory data analysis tool that aims to sort different objects into groups in such a way that when they belong to the same group they have a maximal degree of association and when they do not belong to the same group their degree of association is minimal. Unlike some other statistical techniques, the structures that are uncovered through cluster analysis need no explanation or interpretation – it discovers structure in the data without explaining why they exist. What Is Clustering? Clustering exists in almost every aspect of our daily lives. Take, for example, items in a grocery store. Different types of items are always displayed in the same or nearby locations – meat, vegetables, soda, cereal, paper products, etc. Researchers often want to do the same with data and group objects or subjects into clusters that make sense. To take an example from social science, let’s say we are looking at countries and want to group them into clusters based on characteristics such as division of labor, militaries, technology, or educated population. We would find that Britain, Japan, France, Germany, and the United States have similar characteristics and would be clustered together. Uganda,  Nicaragua, and Pakistan would be also be grouped together in a different cluster because they share a different set of characteristics, including low levels of wealth, simpler divisions of labor, relatively unstable and undemocratic political institutions, and low technological development. Cluster analysis is typically used in the exploratory phase of research when the researcher does not have any pre-conceived hypotheses. It is commonly not the only statistical method used, but rather is done in the early stages of a project to help guide the rest of the analysis. For this reason, significance testing is usually neither relevant nor appropriate. There are several different types of cluster analysis. The two most commonly used are K-means clustering and hierarchical clustering. K-means Clustering K-means clustering treats the observations in the data as objects having locations and distances from each other (note that the distances used in clustering often do not represent spatial distances). It partitions the objects into K mutually exclusive clusters so that objects within each cluster are as close to each other as possible and at the same time, as far from objects in other clusters as possible. Each cluster is then characterized by its mean or center point. Hierarchical Clustering Hierarchical clustering is a way to investigate groupings in the data simultaneously over a variety of scales and distances. It does this by creating a cluster tree with various levels. Unlike K-means clustering, the tree is not a single set of clusters. Rather, the tree is a multi-level hierarchy where clusters at one level are joined as clusters at the next higher level. The algorithm that is used starts with each case or variable in a separate cluster and then combines clusters until only one is left. This allows the researcher to decide what level of clustering is most appropriate for his or her research. Performing A Cluster Analysis Most statistics software programs can perform cluster analysis. In SPSS, select analyze from the menu, then classify and cluster analysis. In SAS, the proc cluster function can be used. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

How the Reformation Affected 16th Century Civilization Essay

How the Reformation Affected 16th Century Civilization When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of his local monastery in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517, Europe was plunged in political and social turmoil. With only a few notable exceptions, a wave of political unity and centralization swept across the Western world. Papal power was perhaps not at its height, yet its corruption and increasingly secular values could be seen from St. Peters in Rome to John Tetzel in Germany. Furthermore, in the economically prospering towns and cities, the middle class was facing an increasing volatile political situation with the growing national monarchies. All of these factors were to only catalyze the reactionary†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, with so many taxes going to Rome, along with such practices as the immunity of the clergy, the nobility held similar views toward the Church. Hence the Reformation presented an intriguing opportunity to break with the church and to align against the emergent national rulers - particularly in the Holy Roman Empire with the Catholic Charles V in power. It would not be until the Diet of Augsburg and the subsequent formation of the Schmalkaldic League that the nobility of the Holy Roman Empire would formally align against the Catholic emperor. Despite Charles anti-Protestant proclamation at the meeting, with the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, the division of the Holy Roman Empire was firmly established. These events which transpired in the first years of the reformation will firmly establish the basis for the massive religious wars which are to sweep the continent in the coming years. Furthermore, these new Protestant alliances will come to define international politics in the next century. The impact of these first years of the Reformation perhaps will not be fully realized until the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, when the Holy Roman Emperor will lose nearly all his power as some 300 German states gain their independence. The Protestant movement will bring much more than scholarly reforms to the churches of Northern Europe, changing the traditional doctrines andShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of The Renaissance1287 Words   |  6 PagesThe term ‘renaissance’, derives from the French language which translates to ‘rebirth’ or ‘revival’. Many English-speakers know of this term from its French derivative. This period in history spanned from the beginning of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century. This was transitional phase from the medieval ages to a new modern era. In Europe, the renaissance was a time of social and cultural changes. 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Costs of Production at San Juan Cell Phones Free Essays

Costs of production at San Juan Cell Phones This is clearly a challenge for Lisa. If Lisa decides to take the order she will have the opportunity to run the factory to capacity over the next three months and fulfill a Company Value by keeping employees working, in addition, she will have a bonus check on her pocket. This will be the optimal decision if the factory had excess capacity of 100,000 and Big Box asking price remains $20 per unit. We will write a custom essay sample on Costs of Production at San Juan Cell Phones or any similar topic only for you Order Now Let’s say Lisa decides to use the Beta Model Line to make the additional 30,000 units, since we are short on information let’s assume that because of the production line change the factory will be 30,000 short on Beta Models. Based on table 1 (Unit Profitability Report) and if units are sold accordingly then San Juan Cell Phones will generate a profit of $90,000 by manufacturing and selling the Alpha model vs. 240,000 profit generated by manufacturing and selling the Beta model. San Juan Cell Phones will risk $150,000 in profit with the production line change alternative. If the company decides to honor the asking price then San Juan Cell Phones will generate losses. If phones are sold at $15 each and variable cost per unit remains same based on table 1 (Unit Profitability Report) then the company will lose $2 per unit making it a $200,000 or a $140,000 deficit. Variable cost will have to decrease $2+ in order to gain some profit. Another alternative will be to hire the OEM to manufacture the entire order. This alternative will be the most profitable one with a $100,000 profit gain without literary doing anything. Mrs. Norman needs to realize that gains may not be always in the shape of money and that she needs to comply with company values in order to maintain integrity which is very important in business today. It is clear that a deal with a major chain like Big Box will bring a good advertisement for the company which eventually will bring more buyers and that will bring more profit to the company, so no matter what happens the company will benefit from this order if production is handled correctly. Keeping that in mind, ordering the OEM to manufacture the entire order is the most attractive option in terms of money but will not run the factory at capacity and will not keep the employees working which is one of the company’s values. In my opinion there is a happy medium to the situation that could bring some profit will keep the employees working and will comply with the order in time. Dividing the production between San Juan Cell Phones and the OEM will fulfilled most of Mrs. Norman needs. Buy hiring the OEM to manufacture 2/3 of the order will make it even with profit of the OEM deal paying for the losses made by producing the Alpha models within the company’s facility and selling it at the requested price ($14). Since profits were good and cost control met standards this will be an alternative to Lisa because production will increase 33,334 units decreasing the excess capacity to 36,667. In other words factory will be producing closer to its capacity, will keep employees working and will provide the costumers a quality product on time. If Lisa wants to gain profit from the deal then she needs to decide how many more units the OEM needs to manufacture with little impact on factory productivity, employment and of course her bonus. How to cite Costs of Production at San Juan Cell Phones, Papers

Hr After a Disaster free essay sample

All of the five functions were affected by Hurricane Rita greatly. HR made sure that they got on the aftermath right away. The first function is staffing, they had people on the job right away to pick up all of the trees that had been knocked on to peoples houses, lots, and businesses. Also, repair crews were working on the recovery process, repairing roofs especially. Secondly, HRD, people of businesses had to get new workers for all of their businesses. They had to train new people which took a lot of their time. Some had to give benefits for their compensation. Businesses, like Burger King, gave a $1,500 bonus for entry-level workers. People could also demand a higher pay, from minimum wage to $10 per hour. Some of the repair men werent always in a safe or healthy environment. There were repair workers who didnt even have a good place to stay, they went to an open lot and set up tents to sleep in. We will write a custom essay sample on Hr After a Disaster or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Union should be there to make sure that the repair workers had an adequate place for them to stay at, instead of sleeping in tents. . I do think that they would respond like this every time. I think that the one of the most important elements that will influence Scotts plans will be the workers. He has to make sure he keeps the right ones, those who are really good at their work. He also has to watch out for union workers, who will look out for the workers interests. Another is the government officials and civic leaders, who would be wanting information all the time,as to what is going on. He has to make these cuts in the company, because he needs to listen to what the president of the company says. I think that all of these are legitimate, except for worrying about what the shareholders want, and what they believe in. 2. I think that Scott should be definitely concerned as to what the shareholders interests are. I dont believe that they should be a major priority. Although they are putting money into the company, they shouldnt be priority. If they keep them a major priority, they could drive away a lot of their customers, which is obviously bad for their business. Scott has to try to come up with a way to make sure that everybody is happy, and gets what they want.