Variables

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PADM 7213

Take-home Mid-Term

Due 10/24/2022 by 5:30 PM

 

  1. Your supervisor at the university wants to know what variables predict MPA student success. You read the following article:

 

Ragothaman, S., Carpenter, J., & Davies, T. (2009). An empirical investigation of MPA student performance and admissions criteria. College Student Journal, 43(3), 879-886.

 

  • How do the authors measure the dependent variable, student success?

 

  • What are the effect sizes of EACH of the correlations with GPA as shown in the correlations in Table 2? What is the largest effect size? Explain.

 

  • What variables are statistically significant predictors of GPA in Model 1, Table 3? Why?

 

  • Model 2 in Table 3 adds some variables to the model- are either of these statistically significant? Why?

 

  • Please write a 1-2 paragraph summary, in non-technical language, that explains to your boss which variables matter for graduate GPA. Please also discuss which variables do not seem to matter.Note that this article does not report betas so it is impossible to determine which variable is the most important.

 

 

 

  1. You are the director of development for a large nonprofit that runs a variety of different programs. You have heard that targeting companies with more women on the board may lead to grant success. You find the following article

 

Williams, R. J. (2003). Women on corporate boards of directors and their influence on corporate philanthropy. Journal of Business Ethics, 42(1), 1-10.

** Note that this article DOES report betas so you CAN determine which variable is the most important.

  • How does the author measure female participation on corporate boards? (The “women” variable?)

 

  • Look at the first regression in Table II (GIVING in total):

 

  1. Which variables in the model are statistically significant? Why?
  2. Which variable is most important? Why? Is “Women” still relatively important? Why?

 

  • Now look at the rest of the models in Table II. Each of these uses corporate giving for specific areas of need as the dependent variable: Education, Community Services, Arts, and Public Policy.

 

  1. Please fill in the table below:
Dependent Variable Beta for “Women” “Women” statistically significant?
All giving (Example) 0.317 Yes,  p = .0016
Education    
Community Services    
Arts    
Public Policy    

 

  1. Based on the results above, what types of grants get funded more with women on the board?
  2. Please write a non-technical 1-2 paragraph summary detailing a grant strategy based on these results. Which types of grants are predicted by women being on the board? Which are not? What is your recommendation for the types of grants to pursue?