Essay on Human Resource Management Essays - , Term Papers

Essay on Human Resource Management It can be said that the term human resources management became popular in the UK at the latter half of the eighties and at the beginning of the nineties. It has been applied to a diverse range of management strategies and has sometimes been used simply as a more modern term for personnel, employee or industrial relations. Its importance lies in its association with a strategic, integrated and highly distinctive managerial approach to the management of the people. The distinctiveness lies in labour being seen as an asset and resource and not as a cost. The strategy is to try to develop this resource to its maximum so that emphasis is on the individual employee and on his/her motivation, training and development. Human Resources Management is defined as proactive rather than reactive, system-wide rather than fragmentary, treats labour as social capital rather than as a variable cost, is goal-oriented rather than relationship oriented, and ultimately is based on commitment rather than compliance. The key themes upon which Human Resources Management is based include Human Relations psychology, Strategic Management theory, and the doctrines of quality and flexibility. The relative emphasis that is accorded to each of these themes can give rise to different variants of Human Resources Management. In particular, it is possible to identify two extreme positions. These are Instrumental and Humanistic. Instrumental approaches draw upon the rational-outcome model of strategic management to view Human Resources Management as something which is driven by and derived directly from corporate, divisional or business level strategy, and geared almost exclusively to enhancing competitive advantage. Humanistic approaches, on the other hand, utilise process theory to emphasise the reciprocal nature of the relationship between strategic management and Human Resources Management and the latters role in ensuring that competitive advantage is achieved through people but not necessarily at their e xpense. One positive consequence of several new approaches to human resourcing has been to force managers to address the basic concepts and values that they routinely use in the evaluation of personnel processes, thereby encouraging a clearer understanding of the overall human resource system. Such an understanding is closely linked to the success with which the performance of human resources can be evaluated. Such evaluation has tended to take two forms: a concern with systems of performance management, and the use of flexible working patterns and organisational structures. However Human Resources Management is not perfect when you ponder on the point of view of the business goals and interests. Its extremely hard for a company to achieve maximum profits and efficiency if it takes too much at heart the wellbeing and interests of its employees. This problem can be defined as an integration issue where we distinguish the external fit of Human Resources Management with the organisations broader business view and the internal consistency of the policy goals of Human Resources Management itself. This is particularly problematic in highly competitive or recessionary conditions where the needs of the business are likely to undermine any internal Human Resources Management issues. For example, if shedding of labour should occur this would challenge, if not destroy, an organisations Human Resources Management image of caring for the needs and security of its employees. The fundamental problem with Human Resources Management is that in most cases Human Resources issues are subordinate and secondary to business strategy. It is not simply that the search for profit overrides the policy goals of Human Resources Management, but arguably that Human Resources Management is pursued only in the belief that by raising employees commitment, flexibility and quality of their work the bottom line will be improved. The contradictions within Human Resources Management are most apparent at the level of actual practices, with simultaneous advocacy of workforce attributes such as individualism and teamwork, commitment to a job and flexibility and development of a strong culture and adaptability. In identifying the tension between individualism and teamwork, for example, what these cases demonstrate is the need for a redefinition of Human Resources Management, for despite any surface similarity with the textbook checklists of Human Resources Management policies these cases could certainly not be described as operating a form of development humanism. The internal contradictions, which plagued Human Resources Management, are well illustrated by

Pricing Strategy and Special Topics

Pricing Strategy and Special Topics Pricing strategy refers to the series of maneuvers that businessmen employ to arrive at the final price of a new product at the market.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pricing Strategy and Special Topics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In general, a business man should follow the following steps before settling down on the price of a commodity: come up with a marketing strategy, decide on the marketing mix, determine the demand versus price relationship, calculate the cost incurred, consider environmental factors, outline the pricing objectives and finally settle down on the cost of the commodity (Anon 2). Putting into consideration a few examples, Tata, an Indian car company introduces the cheapest car in the market which after selling for a while undergoes a price hike. The company would have failed to maintain the cheap price due to various reasons. For instance, despite the car’s cheap price, it did not r ealize market share maximization which was one of its targets since it sold just 45,000 in a country of over a billion people. The company had considered some ethical issues before settling down on the price like excluding features that may raise the cost of production and setting the plant near the source of raw materials. However, low prices are usually prone to price wars and may be considered internationally as dumping. Again, the Indian government initiative to develop the cheapest PC attracts so much debate from manufacturers. This goes hand in hand with the introduction of $35 tablet PC which appears to be impossible to many. Such initiatives may be successful since the government may subsidize the manufacturing cost in its efforts to make each of its citizens own a PC. The government considers legal issues like subsidizing the cost for the benefit of their consumers, though it may raise questions from other manufactures. However, price standardization has not been accepted i n many countries. Automobile Sales Examining the conversation between the three car dealers and the report thereafter, it is very clear to everyone that automobile prices have drastically gone down by a very high percentage compared to the previous years. Many programs have been put in place to have the prices cut by almost 40% that have seen all kinds of vehicles going at a lower price.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Apart from prices falling, car sales are not very good probably due to gas prices. However, quite a good number of people are targeting the collapse of the general motors’ hoping that this would cause the prices to fall even further. Manufacturers have been employing various pricing strategies to ensure that despite the low prices and low sales, they still remain in the market and do not undergo losses. There are five pricing strategies that a re evident in the automobiles industry which include price skimming, penetration pricing, experience curve pricing, complementary product pricing and break even pricing (Rao 15). Price skimming involves setting initial prices very high to target those customers who are less sensitive and then gradually reducing the prices to have them fall even further. The referred articles show that automobile prices were higher in the previous years, have shoppers like Ousman who rarely bargains and also most people are waiting for General Motors to collapse hoping for even lower prices. In penetration pricing, the dealers set lower prices to accelerate product adoption as we can see dealers hoping that customers will flock in the showrooms. â€Å"Experience curve pricing† targets higher volumes of sales and lower costs through accumulated experience. Complementary product pricing is seen where one dealer says that most profits are not realized from new cars but after sale services like sp are parts. Finally, no dealer talks of incurring losses meaning that they have employed the break even pricing (Langfitt 2). Product Marketing Versus Service Marketing There is a major difference between marketing of product when compared with marketing of services. Many business men market their tangible products very easily but find it very tricky to market services. Several features significantly differentiate these two kinds of products some of which are discussed below. Marketing of a service involves marketing of relationship and value as compared to the visible tangible product. Relationship and value needs consumer conviction rather that a tangible product that he/she can confirm of the same. The physical presence of a commodity has more appeal to the consumer rather than something that can only be confirmed after it has taken place.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pricing Strategy and Special Topics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, it is possible to look at the value of a packet of maize flour by looking at the ingredients whereas it’s not possible to know the value of counselor’s services. Whereas the reputation of a tangible product can be determined by the various products on display, the reputation of a service is time based and depends on how a particular individual can deliver that service. For instance, it is not easy to determine the reputation of a lawyer unless you confirm the way he will defend you whereas by walking through a showroom, it is easy to outline the reputation of various car models. Again, it is easier to test the quality of a tangible product, like checking the features of a computer that you may be looking for but it is very difficult to test the quality of a service before receiving it. For instance, you can only confirm the quality of the work of an architect by the products of his structural planning. Also, a consumer can return a tangible product to the seller but a service cannot be returned (DK 6). Anon. Pricing Strategy. NetMBA Business Knowledge Centre, 2010. Web. DK. Product Marketing vs. Service Marketing What You Need to Know. Business Knowledge Source, 2010. Web. Langfitt, Frank. Cash or Credit, Car Deals Abound. NPR, 2009. Web. Rao, Vithala. Handbook of Pricing Research in Marketing. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2009.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More

The federal judiciary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The federal judiciary - Essay Example In cases where an act of legislation is made by the legislature but it goes against the constitution the court has a right to rescind that act. The executive is aimed at having more powers and advancing its authority as well as limiting the congressional powers. The legislative veto was the powerful mechanism that congress used for its oversight and was meant to make checks on the government and a policy-making instrument. They went beyond their powers and exercise duties or veto rules made by executive at times and the judicial review would come in like in the case of Chadha. Chadha, an international student whose visa had expired, was due for deportation but applied for a suspension and an application was made by the Attorney General for suspension since Chadha would face hardships and did not have anywhere to go. The INS judge suspended the deportation and made a report to the congress under law. The house sub-committee recommended deportation but did not make submission to the members for vote. It was thus passed without vote or debate. After the veto by the house it was not submitted to the senate or president, but the INS judge reopened proceedings and Chadha was ordered deported. He filed a petition for review and the court of appeal held that the house was without consultative authority and thus approved the suspension. The INS argued in this case that the Immigration and Nationality Act had violated the separation of powers as it had authorized the legislature to revoke decisions made by the executive arm. It also found out that the particular section of the act was unconstitutional since it violated the principles bicameralism and the presentment clause. The court ruled that the house had taken action that meant to alter the duties of attorney general. The ruling stroke down the legislative veto and the attorney general had the delegated duty of the executive and thus by vetoing

Social Media Team in Customer Relation Management & Balanced Scorecard Essay

Social Media Team in Customer Relation Management & Balanced Scorecard - Essay Example Given that, the main points throughout the discussion touch upon different companies. It will give a general look at the strategic media performance of contemporary organizations in the world. First and foremost, company’s goals are more vital than contemporary state of affairs. In this respect the need for a balanced scorecard has grown once high technologies bubbled over in the most of world countries in the early 1990s. Translating the vision of an organization leads toward seeking the means for finding out the most optimal solutions through linking â€Å"current actions with tomorrow’s goals† (Kaplan & Norton, 2007, p. 150). This is why the need for strategic implementations is mostly based on how an organization communicates its strategy with customers and how it complements the very requirements and expectations thereof. It is vital to note that devising the overall strategy regarding the social media team is, perhaps, the most important thing to do nowadays. Taking a glimpse at what current mass media propose to customers, there is plenty to talk about the social awareness of such companies as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s, BP, Apple, etc. All these giants seem to expand the most of the market in their concrete fields of activities. Notably, the main weapon for them is not only television, but Web 2.0 technologies including social networking, e-mailing, micro-blogging, and so on. According to the scorecard perspective, there are four main processes to draw up the entire vision of the company, namely: translating the vision, communicating and linking, business planning, and feedback and learning (Kaplan & Norton, 2007). The second one is at the core of current discussion as it is straightly referred to CRM. Thus, internal data of the company should partly be disseminated among the key groups of customers. Wollan, Smith, & Zhou (2011) point out that being serious about social media is a prerequisite for

The Types Of E Commerce

The Types Of E Commerce Emergence of internet over the past few years has changed the trends of business world at exponential rate. Now world has become a Global Village which means what used to be a single physical market place located in one geographical area has now become a border-less marketplace, attracting customers and businesses from all over the world. It provides businesses with many advantages for instance setting up an online business is less costly since it doesnt require physical infrastructure for a shop, a business can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year, these long working hours helps businesses generating more profits. It also offers businesses to try new product lines and marketing strategies in cost effective way. The biggest advantage of online business is that even small businesses can compete with international corporations since consumers cannot figure out the actual size of firm. E-commerce can be defined in different ways: E-commerce refers to various online commercial activities focusing on commodity exchanges by electronic means, internet in particular. Zheng Qin (2009) , Introduction to e commerce, Page 7 E-COMMERCE refers to the paperless exchange of business information using electronic data interchange, electronic mail, electronic bulletin boards, electronic funds transfer, world wide web, and other network-based technologies. E-COMMERCE, The Cutting Edge of Business , Second Edition (2005) by Kamlesh K Bajaj and Debjani Nag E-COMMERCE is the use of telecommunications and computers to facilitate the trade of goods and services E-commerce by S. Pankaj (2005) page 3 Types of E-commerce There are Four Main Types Of E-commerce Model: 1) Business to Business (B2B) B2B can be define as commerce transactions between businesses, such as transactions between a wholesaler and retailer. 2) Business to Consumer (B2C) As discussed in class lecture, B2C refers to a commerce transaction between business and individual rather then a company or Businesses selling to the general public for example Dell computer which sells directly to general public through website. 3) Consumer to Business( C2B) C2B is a reverse form of business to consumer, in C2B the commerce transaction take place between consumer and business, for instance Elance.com, which allow individuals to place their requirements on a website within hours companies review the project and make bids on a project then consumer review the bids and select the company with most suitable bid. 4) Consumer to Consumer (C2C) C2C is simply a commerce transaction between consumer to consumer, manay auctions webistes allow consumers to interact with other consumers to buy and sell all sort of items for example Ebay.com, Amazon.com. Above mentioned types of E-commerce clearly shows that electronic commerce is becoming the back bone of transactions at every level for both businesses and consumers. The impact of this emerging trend has changed the fundamentals of supply chain management by redefining the way in which consumers select, purchase and use products and services. E-commerce has also provided companies with opportunity to work more closer to customers what we call consumers intimacy which allow companies to shape their innovation process with changing demand of consumers. Classifications of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce: As described by Deborah Morley Charles S. Parker(2010) With the business to consumer model, businesses sell goods or services to individual consumers. The B2C model was one of the first major types of e-commerce business models to be defined and implemented using the Web. Some example of B2C businesses include Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Overstock.com, and BestBuy.com. There are two main types of B2C E-Commerce: 1) Direct Sellers Direct Sellers are those companies which provide products or services directly to consumers. The important factors that contribute towards the success of B2C e-commerce are Direct Selling experience and consumers database. There is a limit to amount of information that can be communicated through catalogs but internet offers a powerful medium by which direct sellers can provide consumers with thousands of products with detailed description and high-quality visuals. Example: Dell Computers 2) Online Intermediaries Online intermediaries are companies that facilitate transactions between buyers and sellers and receive a percentage of the transactions value. For examples Internet Service Providers( ISP). Supply Chain Management An electronic alternative to the traditional paper chain, providing companies with a smarter, faster, more efficient way to get the right product to the right customer at the right time and price. Combines the power of the Internet with the latest technology, enabling participating suppliers to access up-to-date company information and enabling companies to better manage and track supply and demand http://www.geemultimedia.com.au/glossary.asp IMPACT OF E-COMMERCE ON AIRLINE INDUSTRY: The blessings of Internet have been observed the most by Airline Industry and as a result of it Airline ticket sales now comprise of the largest portion of all product sales made online. This is because e-ticketing is beneficial for both the airlines as well as the travelers. Traditionally the only options available to a passenger were either to buy tickets from a travel agency or from airport. But now with the advent of Internet, airlines have used tool like e-distribution system. An airlines costs can be divided into following two parts: Direct Operating Costs- which includes aircraft, its fuel and salaries of the staff Indirect Operating Costs- which is the distribution cost. The direct operating cost will remain more or less fixed while there is room for saving on indirect cost. This is where e-commerce can play an important role by integrating all business units and efficiently managing logistics. The major components of indirect cost for airline industry includes Sales office, Reservation system ,Travel agent fees,Ticketing fees Promotion and advertisements. Previously, airlines payed commissions to travel agents for selling their tickets, in addition money was also spent on setting up of sales office and staff salaries. Extra capital was used for printing and issuing of tickets. To cut down the operating cost airlines had to turn to e-ticketing to limit their sales offices and reduce their dependency on sales agents. Every airline has now setup their own website offering online booking facility. This also allow Airlines to promote different marketing strategies through web site which gives them more chance to attract new customers. Through the use of e-commerce and development of websites airlines has integrated all the parties involve in a business process for instance tourism business industry can link up with airline website using the integrated information system so that they can get the real time data through share database about the customers booking for their hotel along with the airline tickets. Online sells has also extended the business hours for airlines since customers can do online bookings round the clock and thus throughout the year. While passengers have the luxury of scheduling their own flight in a matter of few clicks saving both time and money. Conclusion: E-commerce has revolutionized the business models. Trading online enables businesses to reach much wider audience while cutting the costs of traditional retailing methods. It also provide businesses with long working hours and minimum human capital. E-commerce allows businesses to better understand and meet the demands of customers, working more closely with them by managing databases, resulting in better supply chain management activities and efficient logistics. E-commerce has also changed the way customers learn , select, purchase and use products and services, providing them with more personalized experience ever and by cutting the middle man out businesses have provide consumers with fast processing and close interaction with company.

The Women from The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain Essay

The Women from The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Until recently, the role of women in literature has seemed to reflect the way they were treated in society. Women were seen as secondary to men, and their sole purpose in life was to please a man’s every desire. This is not the case in three specific literary works. The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight use the actions of its women characters to greatly enhance important thematic elements. The women in each of these works use feminine psyche to persuade men to do things that men of the time would not usually do. The use of women in these literary works is very contrary to the prevailing ideals of the female and her responsibilities at the time each was written. In each case, the woman possesses an almost supernatural power to influence others to do as she requests. Though it is somewhat premature to assume that the authors of these pieces started a feminist revolution, they most definitely allowed women to be seen with a respect that the female had never enjoyed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Odyssey contains many female characters that influence the entire climax. Athena is an obvious example, because as a goddess and fan of Odysseus, she is able to create supernatural occurrences to help Odysseus to survive. But to include her as a woman is not feasible, because she is an immortal god. The true female heroine of The Odyssey is Penelope, the loving and devoted wife of Odysseus. She fits the perfect mold of an excellent mother and faithful wife. Although Odysseus is believed to be dead, she does not marry again and does everything in her power to prevent this from happening. She is able to use trickery and deceit to avoid the suitors without allowing them to find out what she is doing. She has informed her men-in-waiting that she will marry when she finishes weaving her shroud. She works all day on it and secretly undoes her work at night while they are sleeping. In this case, Penelope is seen as smart and cunning, and she is being faithful to her husband and at the same time, she does not have to blatantly disrespect the suitors. At the time this was written, it was almost impossible for a woman of her stature to avoid remarrying immediately. Another way that Penelope is seen as loyal and exceptional as a woman is the test that she gives Odysseus when he returns home in disgui... ...in literary works has often reflected the way that women were viewed at the time of each work’s creation. For three works, The Odyssey, The Wife of Bath, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, each author chose to oppose the prevailing view. The characters that these women play are crucial to the hero’s success or failure. Each woman is able to overcome adversity and oppression to prevail over the male sex. By doing so, they can be viewed as being a role model to all the women who read these works. Even though, there may not have been noticeable changes in the way women were treated in each work’s respective time period, they serve as a divergence away from traditional values and set a framework for further success in equality. Works Cited Anonymous. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The Norton Anthology. Ed. Sarah   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lawall. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 1458-1511. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale. The Norton Anthology.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ed. Sarah Lawall. 7th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1999.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1549-1572. Homer. The Odyssey. The Norton Anthology. Ed. Sarah Lawall. 7th ed. New York:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  W.W. Norton & Company, 1999. 209-513.

Burundi Music Essay

Every individual is inherently unique from one another because of many factors. Their individual uniqueness could be in terms of their personality, beliefs, lifestyle and others. Nevertheless, despite these differences, individuals still feel a sense of belongingness because they find themselves part of a certain group that shares things that are common among them. The concept of culture plays an important role in establishing ties among individuals of a particular group, community, or even a nation. This is due to the fact that culture mirrors the way of life of the people. It symbolizes the heritage of a group of people, which could be seen through the art of music as well as the instruments that they use in order to produce their unique sounds. In relation to this, the country of Burundi also has their unique flair for music that describes the very culture that these people have. The country of Burundi or officially known as the Republic of Burundi is among the smallest and most densely populated territories in African continent. Burundi is a small landlocked country in Central Africa wherein it is surrounded by other countries including Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda. The country is also situated just south of the equator. Bujumbura is the capital of the country. This city has a population of about 600,000 that is located at the western Burundi’s Great Rift Valley on the shores of Lake Tanganyika (Africa Travelling, 2000). The population of the country is originally composed of the Twa Pygmies of the forests, which was later joined by the Hutu agriculturists. After the 14th century, the Tutsis who were characterized as war-like and reared long-horn cattle. As time passes by, the Tutsis were able to dominate the society of the country and have established feudal obligations between the farmers and cattle owners. The authority of the Tutsis created more conflict when Germany and Belgium gained possession of the territory and acquired leadership indirectly through the Tutsis. For the span of several centuries, the Tutsi Royalty held the seat of power in the country wherein they provided organized leadership as well as a rich dynastic culture. However, after the Second World War majority of the Hutus insisted that they should be given greater participation in the affairs of the country. Because of this, the royal family failed to show their ability to rule as they cannot properly handle the demands of the Hutus. The downfall of the royal family paved the way for the country to be under the central authority of the military and police (Travel Documents Systems, 2009). Most scholars who studied the Burundian culture found out that the royal court has a huge influence in the country’s culture. Their cultural heritage is centered on music and dance that gave reverence to the virtues of kingship. They also held numerous festivals wherein the drummers of Burundi had the most captivating presence. The dances and elaborate ceremonies are usually performed with royal drums. Drumming is regarded as a vital aspect of the Burundian culture. For more than forty years, the world renowned Royal Drummers of Burundi are recognized for their traditional drumming styles. They used native drums such as: â€Å"amashako†, â€Å"ibishikiso†, and â€Å"ikiranya†. The performances of this percussion ensemble are usually part of ceremonies like births, funerals, and the coronations of their Kings, which they called as â€Å"mwami† The â€Å"karyenda† drums that the band also uses, are sacred in Burundi. These drums symbolize the mwami and regeneration as well as fertility. The drums use by the Royal Drummers of Burundi came from hollowed tree trunks and covered by animal skin. There are also other drums that are used like the â€Å"Inkiranya† that serves as the central drum and the Amashako which is responsible in giving a continuous beat as well as the Ibishikiso that follows the rhythm of the Inkiranya (Maps of World, 2009). The performance of the Royal Drummers also stands for the music heritage of its people. The way in which they play these various drums has been the same for centuries because the techniques and traditions have been passed on from generation to generation. Members of the ensemble take turns in playing the drums and dancing throughout the performance. The drummers start the show by balancing the heavy drums on their heads, at the same time singing and playing. There are also some extra members that hold ornamental shields and spears. Their purpose is to lead the procession with their dance (Maps of World, 2009). The unique and long-standing musical heritage of Burundi is not only seen in drumming but also in their songs. Burundian gives utmost importance to the family, which is why during their gatherings they have the â€Å"imuyino† songs. Imuyino songs have a short refrain and a strong beat, which usually include improvised verses when sung. On the other hand, another type song, the â€Å"indirimbo† is more passive as compared with the imuyino. The indirimbo is sung by a single singer or a small group. Distinction in the gender roles in their society is also reflected in their music. Men sing the â€Å"kwishongora†, which is a rhythmic song that is characterized with shouts and trills. Women sing the â€Å"bilito†, which is a more sentimental music (Stanford, 2007). Their music shows men as more authoritative and responsible with decision-making while women are more emotional and has the duty of child rearing. Burundian music is also known for its â€Å"whispered singing. † This is sung at a low pitch in order for the accompaniment of the instruments to be heard more. The instruments used in singing are the â€Å"inanga†, a hollow wooden bowl with six to eight strings stretched over it; the â€Å"idono†, a one string fiddle; the â€Å"ikihusehama†, a clarinet-like woodwind; and the â€Å"ikimbe†, a linguaphone (Stanford, 2007). The cultural heritage of Burundi is indeed exceptional due to the fact that it is rooted in their history and it mirrors their values and way of life. Nevertheless, the arts and humanities of the country especially its music and dance have not been given due attention in order for it to flourish more. The current situation of the country that is often plagued with internal conflict among its various tribes, as well as some disagreements with its neighbor countries made life very difficult in Burundi. Arts and humanities have been taken for granted because of more pressing issues like the security and welfare of the Burundian citizens. References Africa Travelling. (2000). Bujumbura – Culture. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from http://www. africatravelling. net/burundi/bujumbura/bujumbura_culture. htm. Maps of World. (2009). Royal Drummers of Burundi. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from http://www. mapsofworld. com/burundi/culture/royal-drummers. html. Stanford, E. (2007). Culture of Burundi. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from http://www. everyculture. com/Bo-Co/Burundi. html. Travel Document Systems. (2009). Burundi Africa: Culture. Retrieved February 10, 2009, from http://www. traveldocs. com/bi/culture. htm.