Quantifying the contribution of causal variables to a targeted effect variable directly and indirectly through other variables has always being the layer that researchers seldom examine. Path analysis method may be a natural extension to regression analysis where researchers may be able to quantitatively examine the direct contributions to the effect variable and the indirect effects through other variable to the effect variable. Researchers are sometimes forced to stop their investigation at regression analysis level even when their model reports highly positive fit but could not find or explain any direct positive significant contribution from any of the causal variables in the system. It is a decision support tool that helps researchers determine the contribution of each variable to the effect and each variable via other variables to that effect. This paper gives us a step by step approach to doing path analysis using the Microsoft office Excel software. A tool most common to PCs based on Microsoft windows operating systems and its users.
Author Biography
Akinnola Akintunde, International Black Sea University
Doctor and Head of Doctorate Department at Faculty of Computer Technologies and Engineering
