Micro-Projects : Six Exercises for Developing Project and Team Skills

Since most datasets contain a number of variables, multivariate methods are helpful in answering a variety of research questions. Accessible to students and researchers without a substantial background in statistics or mathematics, Essentials of Multivariate Data Analysis explains the usefulness of multivariate methods in applied research. Unlike most books on multivariate methods, this one makes straightforward analyses easy to perform for those who are unfamiliar with advanced mathematical formulae. An easily understood dataset is used throughout to illustrate the techniques. The accompanying add-in for Microsoft Excel can be used to carry out the analyses in the text. The dataset and Excel add-in are available for download on the book‘s CRC Press web page.Providing a firm foundation in the most commonly used multivariate techniques, this text helps readers choose the appropriate method, learn how to apply it, and understand how to interpret the results. It prepares them for more complex analyses using software such as Minitab R, SAS, SPSS, and Stata.

A project is more than an assembly of methods, tools and resources. Projects often seem to have a soul. They require dedication, belief and commitment. The only way to gain experience of a project, assess and develop the skills associated with it is to live through it. The six micro-projects in this collection highlight the kinds of skills typical of creative project teams. They can be used to practise: ? team working in a project environment ? working as a team to satisfy a need expressed in terms of time, cost and quality ? the skills associated with creativity, problem solving and team leadership ? the guiding principles for tackling projects creatively. The collection includes the following games: Eggbox is a creative project that emphasizes idea generation; Ironbridge simulates a scenario in which consortia explore the specifications of a construction project; Tower of Straws produces a situation in which change is frequent and normal; Domino Race is based on an imaginative design project that needs to reflect operational constraints; Catapult is an all-day task offering a complete project management experience and, finally, the Autonomous Team Activity encourages productivity and initiative in the project team.