Final answer:
The standard error of the mean for the insurance company's underwriting approval process with a mean of 45 days, a standard deviation of 12 days, and a sample size of 36 applications is 2 days.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of this question is the calculation of the standard error of the mean in the context of processing life insurance applications. The standard error of the mean (SEM) is calculated by dividing the standard deviation (σ) by the square root of the sample size (n). In this case, the mean processing time is stated to be 45 days with a standard deviation of 12 days, and the sample size is 36 applications.
To find the standard error of the mean, we use the formula:
SEM = σ / √n
SEM = 12 days / √36 = 12 days / 6 = 2 days
Therefore, the standard error of the mean for this sample of 36 applications is 2 days.