Assignment: SPSS – Descriptive StatisticsFor this Assignment, you will use SPSS (PASW) software and learn to properly manipulate data according to APA requirements. This is an important skill and will be a major factor in future Assignments in this course, as well as in your Doctoral Study.To prepare for this Assignment, review the Week 2 Assignment Exemplar document provided in the week’s Resources, and download the Week 2 Assignment Template. Be sure to review the footnotes, as they provide helpful information. Also, review Lessons 20 and 21 in the Green and Salkind (2017) text, as well as the Copying and Pasting SPSS Output Into Word document, located in this week’s Resources. Download and use the Week 2 Assignment Dataset file for this Assignment. Keep in mind that you cannot draw conclusions using descriptive statistics without further testing (inferential statistics). Inferential statistics (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, regression, etc.) will be covered in later weeks.By Day 7Submit an application of descriptive statistics within a quantitative business research context that follows the Week 2 Assignment Template. Your application must include the following:An explanation of the implications of “Scales of Measurement” in quantitative researchA properly stated research questionA “Presentation of Findings” section, to include appropriate descriptive statistics for nominal (categorical/qualitative) and scale (ordinal, interval, and ratio) data using appropriately formatted APA table(s)One appropriate graph for a nominal variable (e.g., pie chart) and one appropriate graph for scale (quantitative) variable (e.g., histogram)An Appendix containing the SPSS output (see the Week 2 Assignment Exemplar)Correct APA formatting, including in-text citations and a separate References page where appropriatePlease Note: You will cut and paste the appropriate SPSS output into the Appendix. The SPSS output is not in APA format, so you will need to type the information from the SPSS output to the appropriate sections of the APA table. You must use the Week 2 Assignment Template to complete this Assignment. Also, refer to the Week 2 Assignment Rubric for specific grading elements and criteria. Your Instructor will use this rubric to assess your work.

Components (in the WACC formula) are based on the (long‐term) target debt‐equityratio. Assume that the beta of debt (for both Midland and its divisions) is zero. Assume a marginal corporate tax rate of 40%. Midland will be using the cost of capital estimates to evaluate long‐term projects.1. a) Compute the asset beta of Midland (as a whole). b) Compute the WACC (with taxes) for Midland.2. a) Estimate the asset beta for the Exploration & Production division.b) Compute the WACC (with taxes) for the Exploration & Production division.3. a) Estimate the asset beta for the Refining & Marketing division.b) Compute the WACC (with taxes) for the Refining & Marketing division.4. Given the data in the case, how would you estimate the asset beta and the WACC for the Petrochemical division? A qualitative response (with some rough calculations) will suffice. Note: I am looking for an explanation other than that of identifying/using suitable comparables for the Petrochemicals division.5. Should Midland compute and use a separate cost of capital for each of its divisions? Explain.

1. Before computers were widespread, almost all risk analysis was done without simulation. Therefore, only a handful of scenarios could be formulated to understand the risk of a decision. Typically, a best-case and worst-case scenario was determined and decisions were based on these two scenarios. What are some of the drawbacks of this decision-making approach? Specifically, how does the capability to summarize 1,000s of simulated scenarios improve the approach?2. By definition, simulations require a distribution to be specified (e.g., normal, Poisson). Many times, the exact distribution to be used is unknown, so it must be assumed. One argument against using simulations to perform risk analysis is that there is no real benefit because the set of assumptions is simply shifted from assumed parameter values to assumed distributions of parameters. Comment on this argument and justify your opinions with reasons, facts, and examples.