Bayesian networks of customer satisfaction survey data

A Bayesian Network is a probabilistic graphical model that represents a set of variables and their probabilistic dependencies. Formally, Bayesian Networks are directed acyclic graphs whose nodes represent variables, and whose arcs encode the conditional dependencies between the variables. Nodes can represent any kind of variable, be it a measured parameter, a latent variable or a hypothesis. They are not restricted to representing random variables, which forms the "Bayesian" aspect of a Bayesian network. Efficient algorithms exist that perform inference and learning in Bayesian Networks. Bayesian Networks that model sequences of variables are called Dynamic Bayesian Networks. Harel et. al (2007) provide a comparison between Markov Chains and Bayesian Networks in the analysis of web usability from e-commerce data. A comparison of regression models, SEMs, and Bayesian networks is presented Anderson et. al (2004). In this paper we apply Bayesian Networks to the analysis of Customer Satisfaction Surveys and demonstrate the potential of the approach. Bayesian Networks offer advantages in implementing models of cause and effect over other statistical techniques designed primarily for testing hypotheses. Other advantages include the ability to conduct probabilistic inference for prediction and diagnostic purposes with an output that can be intuitively understood by managers