Imagine you work in the HR department of a large company. Your supervisor is interested in the mean annual performance review scores for all the employees in the sales department. The performance review scores range from 1 to 5, with 5 being exceptional and 1 being unacceptable. They have been asked by the CEO to examine the performance review scores to determine if the mean is above 3.5, because limited funds are available for raises. Your supervisor wants to determine if this is correct and has asked you to investigate.

You randomly sample 30 annual performance reviews and record the scores.The results of your sample and your calculations are shown in the Excel file provided in the assignment instructions in Blackboard.

Write a two to three (2-3) page report using the provided template in which you:

1. Construct a box-and-whisker plot for the performance review scores.
2. Copy the sample mean, median, and standard deviation for performance review scores.
3. Copy the 95% Confidence Interval for the performance review scores.
4. Conduct a hypothesis test to verify if the claim that the performance review scores is greater than 3.5 is supported. Clearly state the logic of your test, the calculations, and the conclusion of your test.
5. Provide the following discussion based on the conclusion of your test:
   1. If you conclude that the mean score is greater than 3.5, speculate on three (3) possible causes. Next, suggest a strategy to avoid inflated scores in the future.

Or

1. If you conclude that the claim that the mean annual performance review score is greater than 3.5 is not supported or justified, provide a detailed explanation to your supervisor about why this perception might exist. Include your speculation on the reason(s) behind the claim.