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Example of populations
You wish to conduct a survey of secretarial positions in the glass industry. What would constitute a "sample" of the population?
- Population: Names (and N) of all companies in the industry
- Sample: Names (and n) of all companies participating in the survey
A major national survey sends you these results for Los Angeles:
| POSITION | Junior Secretary | Senior Secretary | Executive Secretary |
|---|---|---|---|
| # OF COMPANIES | 5 | 18 | 12 |
| # OF POSITIONS | 17 | 56 | 13 |
| MEDIAN | $50,800 | $63,100 | $67,200 |
| MEAN | $51,500 | $64,000 | $68,400 |
Based strictly on the results, you may question the validity of the data for the following reasons:
- The sample is very small (Los Angeles has over 1,000 companies with more than 100 employees).
- It may be biased.
- It may not be random.
Memory Jogger
You are analyzing a salary survey. The data that is in the survey would be considered as a:
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