3.

Data

The data has been collected from a number od sources. Each year figures on the sale of Chrysler cars is released. The performance of the firm is being assessed using the number of cars sold by the firm each year. This is shown in the first column of table 1 below. The data was taken from a number of different news sources and correlated. The second column, the change in sales has been calculated from the sakes figures, and will provide data which may be used in the assessment.

Three sets of independent variables were collected. The first is the total number of vehicles that were produced in the USD in each of the years, in thousands. The second independent variable is the cost of gasoline. This has been assessed as the cost in cents on a per mile basis, given at current prices. Both the production levels and cost of gasoline have been taken from the Bureau of Transport Statistics. The last independent variable is the unemployment rate. The data is taken as a seasonally adjusted figure for the December of each year.

Table 1; Statistical evidence regarding Chrysler and influences in their market

Dependent variables

Independent variables

Year

Number of vehicles sold

Change in sales

Number of vehicles manufactured in the U.S. (in thousands)

Average cost of gas per mile (current costs in cents)

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate

Classification of data

The number of cars sold, number of vehicles manufactured and cost of gas per mile are all interval numbers; they present meaningful data that have even gaps between the numbers and can be used to rank and assess the levels within the set scales. The change in sales and the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates are ratio numbers.

Motor Vehicle Production and Factory (Wholesale) Sales, [online] http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_01_15.html, accessed on 25th May 2013
Bureau of Transport Statistics, (2013), Table 3-17: Average Cost of Owning and Operating an Automobile, [online] http://www.rita.dot.gov/bts/sites/rita.dot.gov.bts/files/publications/national_transportation_statistics/html/table_03_17.html accessed on 25th May 2013

Chrysler, (2013), [online] www.chrysler.com accessed 25th May 2013

Economagic, (2013), Unemployment Rate: SA, [online] http://www.economagic.com/em-cgi/data.exe/blsln/LNS14000000 accessed 25th May 2013

Reuters, (2008, Jan), Total Chrysler LLC December 2007 Sales Up 1% on the Strength of Retail, [online] http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/01/03/idUS217066+03-Jan-2008+PRN20080103 accessed 25th May 2013

Tellis, Winston, (1997, Sept), Application of a Case Study Methodology, the Qualitative Report, 3(3), [online]http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-3/tellis2.html, accessed on 25th May 2013

The Auto Channel, (2001, Jan), Chrysler Group Announces Year-End and December Sales, [online] http://www.theautochannel.com/news/press/date/20010103/press033497.html accessed on 25th May 2013

The Auto Channel, (2003, Jan), Chrysler Group Reports U.S. December Sales, http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2003/01/04/152240.html accessed 25th May 2013

The Auto Channel, (2004, Jan), Chrysler Group Reports December 2003 Sales Increase of 2%, http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2004/01/05/175827.html accessed 25th May 2013

Yin Robert K, (2002), Case Study Research. Design and Methods, California, Sage Publications