Labor Practices Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of Sustainable Independent Oil Palm Cultivation on Rural Development: A Case Study of Angkola Sangkunur Sub-District, South Tapanuli Regency

This study evaluates the impact of sustainable independent oil palm cultivation on rural development in the Angkola Sangkunur sub-district, South Tapanuli Regency, Indonesia. The research focuses on five key aspects: legal, technical cultivation, environmental management, labor, and institutional factors. Data was collected through a combination of primary and secondary sources, with primary data obtained via questionnaires distributed to a probability-based sample of 165 respondents. The analysis employed multiple linear regression to assess the influence of each aspect on regional development, with hypotheses tested using both F-tests and t-tests. The results reveal that the technical cultivation and institutional aspects exert a significant positive influence on rural development, underscoring the critical role of advanced agricultural practices and strong governance structures. While legal and environmental management aspects also have positive effects, their impact was not statistically significant, indicating that these factors may require further development or longer timeframes to manifest significant outcomes. Conversely, the labor aspect showed a negative but statistically insignificant effect, suggesting that the costs associated with implementing sustainable labor practices may pose challenges for smallholder farmers. This study concludes that enhancing technical capabilities and institutional frameworks offers the most immediate and substantial benefits for rural development in the region. However, a holistic approach that also addresses legal, environmental, and labor issues is essential for achieving long-term sustainability. The findings provide valuable insights for policymakers, stakeholders, and researchers focused on sustainable agriculture and rural development.

Navigating Labour Shifts: Early Modern Pearl Fishing in the Caribbean (1521–1563)

Abstract Narratives about indigenous labour in the pearl fisheries of the Caribbean, widely disseminated across the Atlantic world since the sixteenth century by Castilian chroniclers, have significantly shaped historiography. These accounts have reinforced a singular narrative about labour within pearl fisheries that overlooks this work's spatial and temporal changes in sea depths. This article examines and reconstructs the labour practices of workers in the pearl fisheries on the islands of Cubagua, Margarita, and Coche, as well as the coast of Cabo de la Vela and Riohacha, highlighting their temporal and spatial transformations. Additionally, it analyses the coexistence of various forms of coerced labour within this context.

Indigenous Practices for Achieving Sustainable Construction

The objective of the present research is to explore the concept of sustainability in construction by examining indigenous construction practices followed in various regions of India, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that promote safe, resilient, and environmentally friendly human settlements. This study aims to investigate indigenous construction practices that have been used for generations and assess their applicability in the present context. Through the collection of qualitative data from participants, the study seeks to develop a theoretical model of sustainable construction that incorporates region-specific indigenous practices. As Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) lends itself useful for such theory development, we have used it as the methodology for data collection, analysis and model development. CGT enables in-depth inductive analysis of qualitative data. Data have been gathered through interviews and conversations as primary sources, supplemented by secondary sources. The study primarily focuses on key parameters such as construction materials and techniques, labour, economic considerations, and region-specific indigenous practices related to sustainable construction. This study develops a theoretical model that integrates indigenous practices with contemporary practices, and thus endeavours to bridge the past and present, offering a blend of traditional wisdom and contemporary relevance. It aims to inspire customers, architects, and engineers to reconnect with their cultural heritage and embrace local knowledge in construction practices, which have demonstrated sustainability over thousands of years. Findings from the study pave the way for better environmental management through sustainable indigenous construction practices.

GLOBALIZATION'S DOUBLE EDGE: ASSESSING ITS IMPACT ON WOMEN

The duple outcome of globalization has had a compelling sway on women all across the globe as it offers prospects as well as complications. On the one hand, today’s women now have more options to contribute through work, access to education, and healthcare which is a result of improved economic opportunities derived from globalization where technology disseminates ideas to share with the world, empowering women to establish and confront the world for their rights but with the uninterrupted gender-based exploitation, with the forced low remunerations accompanied by the ambiguous employment in some specific sectors like manufacturing. Furthermore, the deconstruction of social safety nets brought about by the neoliberal policies that accompanied globalization has increased the care obligations placed on women which hinders admittance of their access to economic opportunities, which makes women's experiences with the current phenomenon of globalization more complex and context-specific, which demand a detailed and comprehensive evaluation to ensure the fair distribution of its positive outcomes by minimizing its negative effects. This study analyses the impact of globalization on women in the underdeveloped and developed nations. It is a noticeable fact that globalization positively supports East Asian countries by providing more opportunities that generate economic prosperity but also results in inequality and exploitation, specifically for females and children living in less or least developed areas. Because of the reduction in public services, women in these areas often experience low earnings, unfavorable working conditions, and an increase in household duties. According to this study, globalization tends to uphold unfair labor practices and discriminatory gender norms even when it can give women access to the workforce and financial independence so there is no doubt in the fact that, Gender inequality and economic development both go hand in hand in developing countries, where women are more likely to be exploited and have lower levels of economic engagement.

Neo-Liberalism’s Shadows: Modern slavery in South African Higher Education

Neoliberal ideology globally prioritises competition and productivity over staff well-being in higher education, leading to exploitative practices and heightened stress among academic faculty, culminating in what can be termed modern academic slavery. This study investigates the contemporary impact of neoliberalism on South African universities, focussing on governance, funding and academic freedom, and how these factors contribute to deteriorating conditions for academic staff and toxic work environments. This research examines academic experiences in a South African urban higher education institution (HEI) utilizing a single-case study approach. It examines their context within institutional and societal trends. Using a single-case ideographic approach in a South African HEI, the study utilises detailed documentation, incident analysis and literature review to understand academic enslavement within the chosen HEI, contextualising the academic’s experiences within these broader institutional and societal trends. The findings reveal four key themes: moral disengagement, corporate malfeasance, exploitative labour practices, and labour coercion, illustrating the widespread exploitation of academic staff. The study advocates for urgent interventions to ensure respectful treatment, foster ethical work environments, and address disparities between administrators and faculty. It calls for autonomy, ethical leadership and a culture of inquiry in HEIs to combat modern academic slavery while acknowledging the need for further action and exploration.Contribution: This study underscores the current impact of neoliberalism on higher education in South Africa, exposing challenges for academic staff and advocating systemic reforms. It emphasises the necessity for future investigations into institutional accountability and strategies to enhance staff well-being in HEIs.

‘Providing a Layman's Guide to the Scheme’: Museum Computing, Professional Personas and Documentary Labour in the United Kingdom, 1967–1983

Abstract Between the 1960s and early-1980s the museum sector in the United Kingdom (UK) was rapidly professionalised and systematised. A crucial moment in this transition was the creation in 1967 of the Information Retrieval Group of the Museums Association (IRGMA), and the subsequent launch of its system for the machine encoding and communication of museum catalogue records. The rise of IRGMA marked an inflection point in museological practice and the normalisation of computerised work within the UK museum profession, a moment when the desire for a ‘layman's guide to the scheme’ began to give way to new professional personas and forms of documentary labour. This article asks how cultures of museology and professional labour shifted in response to IRGMA. It argues that between the late 1960s and mid-1980s both the implementation of and the debate around computerised cataloguing disrupted the function of UK museums and how museum professionals imagined their labour. And by tracing the emergence of these cultures and their intersections with professional identity and labour practices, this article seeks to tease out the ways museum history can resonate with wider narratives of labour, expertise and technological innovation in contemporary British history.

Price Monitoring, or Where Surveillance Studies Meets the Sociology of Price Formation

This essay stages an encounter between surveillance studies and the sociology of price and price formation. I argue that surveillance is integral to the calculative operations of retail price strategies, especially during periods of high inflation, and that these calculative operations hinge on the human infrastructure of a precarious data-collecting workforce. I present my argument through a case study of competitor price monitoring, a corporate surveillance practice in which commercial actors record, process, and transmit information on competitors’ pricing, inventory, and display strategies. While pricing intelligence services like web-scraping and dynamic pricing algorithms are typically applied in e-commerce settings, I focus here on a firm that specializes in the collection of brick-and-mortar retail price data, with special attention to the labor practices involved in the manual (in-person, device-aided) production of retail price information at the national-industrial scale. Building on auto-ethnographic observations as a price data collector as well as analysis of employee reviews of the firm on sites like Indeed and Glassdoor, I argue that surveillance studies can contribute in significant ways to our understanding of the material practices, and politics, of price and price formation.

Unlocking Pakistan’s digital potential: A roadmap for workforce digitalization and economic transformation

This paper explores the various aspects of workforce digitalization in Pakistan. Through an exploratory case study, it examines key trends of workforce digitalization, and the multifaceted impact of digitalization on the workforce in Pakistan, highlighting the opportunities, challenges, and economic benefits. Moreover, it analyzes the government policies and initiatives for the promotion of digitalization in Pakistan. Finally, it suggests a roadmap for workforce digitalization and economic transformation in Pakistan. Workforce digitalization and economic transformation entail a multifaceted approach to modernizing labor practices, leveraging digital technologies, and fostering economic growth. The digitalization of the workforce in Pakistan reflects the country’s evolving socio-economic landscape and technological advancements. However, workforce digitalization and economic transformation in Pakistan present significant opportunities and challenges. Embracing digitalization can enhance productivity, create new job opportunities, and drive economic growth. Further, modernizing government services through digitalization initiatives, including e-governance platforms for improved efficiency, transparency, and accountability fosters a more conducive environment and accelerates digital transformation across different sectors. However, addressing challenges related to digital literacy, cybersecurity, and access to digital infrastructure is essential to ensure that all segments of the population can benefit from the digital economy. As Pakistan seeks to strengthen its economy, digitalization is key to unlocking new opportunities, driving sustainable development, and becoming a digital nation in the future. Workforce digitalization and economic transformation in Pakistan require a comprehensive strategy that addresses digital skills development, infrastructure improvement, entrepreneurship support, government digitization, digital inclusion, cybersecurity, industry collaboration, and international partnerships. By prioritizing these areas, Pakistan can unlock its digital potential and drive sustainable economic growth in the digital age.

Labour as a component of carceral circuitry: The case of asylum seekers

Building upon insights from carceral geography, this article conceptualises the ‘carceral’ as permeating beyond the prison walls to other areas of life through law and policymaking that confines and incarcerates without necessarily ‘imprisoning’. 1 Utilising the case study of asylum applicants in the UK, this article traces the role of ‘work’ as a component of carceral circuitry which enmeshes asylum seekers’ lives. Outside of immigration detention, this includes work exclusions which hinder mobility, life choices and economic independence, as well as fuelling engagement in both ‘voluntary’ unpaid work arrangements, and/or unregulated ‘criminal’ labour practices which arise as a result of exclusionary laws intent on creating a hostile environment. Inside of immigration detention analysis extends to the practice of ‘paid activities’ in which immigration detainees undertake millions of hours of work at a rate of £1.00 per hour, ostensibly ‘for their own benefit’. Labour law and its explicit exclusions, as well as the social welfare framework, thereby intersect with immigration control and the criminal law to construct, shape and reproduce this carceral sphere which seeks to control and govern asylum seekers’ lives as well as entrenching their vulnerability as an easily exploitable workforce from which value can be extracted.

Nepali Migrant Workers and Their Occupational Health Hazards in the Workplace: A Scoping Review

An increasing number of people are relocating to search for work, leading to substantial implications for both local and global health. Approximately 3.6% of the global population (281 million) migrates annually. Nepal has experienced a notable surge in labour migration in recent years, with a substantial proportion of its residents actively seeking work opportunities abroad. Understanding work-related risks is crucial for informing policies, interventions, and practices that can improve the welfare of this hard-to-reach population. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and analyse occupational health hazards encountered by Nepali migrant workers employed overseas. Medline, Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the NepJOL databases were systematically searched for primary research papers published in English up to July 2024. Relevant data, including workplace hazards and their impact on health outcomes, were extracted and narratively synthesised by highlighting key themes in the existing literature. A total of 24 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Of these, twelve studies were conducted in Nepal, five in Gulf countries, four in Malaysia, two in Hong Kong, and one each in India and Korea. Workplace injuries (motor vehicle injuries, machinery injuries, falls from a height, and falls on a heavy object), poor working environment (including long working hours, work without leave, discrepancy in pay scale, limited access to drinking water and toilet/bathroom facilities), workplace abuse, sexual abuse, and torture were identified as key occupational health hazards faced by the Nepali migrant workers abroad. Multi-level intervention strategies, such as safety training standards, improving working conditions, and eliminating exploitative labour practices, are critical to improving occupational health and safety standards for Nepali migrant workers abroad. This includes creating a supportive working environment where employees can easily and timely access health services as needed.

Minding the gap? Blind spots in the ILO's and the EU's perspective on anti-forced labour policy

This article critically examines the EU's recent proposal to ban products made with forced labour from its market, which adopts the ILO's definition of ‘forced labour’ as outlined in the Forced Labour Convention of 1930 (No. 29). The authors argue that the EU's endorsement of the ILO's approach is problematic due to two flawed assumptions: (1) the definition of ‘forced labour’ is universally accepted across the EU, and (2) it is well-suited to combat forced labour in contemporary supply chains. Through an analysis of ongoing debates between the ILO and its Member States, the article demonstrates a lack of consensus regarding the interpretation of the Convention, particularly in the context of hybrid public-private prison labour arrangements. Furthermore, introducing a new Hybrid Multi-Dimensional (HMD) model for analysing contemporary prison labour practices, the article reveals blind spots in the ILO's approach that may inadvertently allow the incorporation of prison labour into supply chains, contrary to the EU's objectives. The article argues that the EU's unequivocal endorsement of the ILO's definition disregards these fundamental issues and may hinder the effective implementation of its proposed ban. The authors suggest that the HMD model offers a more comprehensive framework for analysing the complex realities of modern prison labour and could provide a roadmap for resolving the ILO-States debate. The article concludes that the EU should reconsider its wholesale adoption of the ILO's approach in light of the HMD model's insights in order to fulfil the objectives of its proposed forced labour product ban.

Temporalities of oxytocin for labour augmentation: a mixed-methods study of time factors shaping labour practices in a busy maternity unit in Tanzania

BackgroundHigh rates of labour augmentation with oxytocin have been found in some low- and lower-middle-income countries, causing potential perinatal harm. It is critical to understand the reasons for this overuse. Aim was to explore factors that shape practices around using oxytocin for labour augmentation in a high-volume labour ward in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsMixed-methods data collection was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022, including structured observations of 234 births, 220 h of unstructured labour ward observations and 13 individual in-depth interviews with birth attendants. Thematic network analysis and descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. We used a time-lens to understand practices of oxytocin for labour augmentation in time-pressured labour wards.ResultsBirth attendants constantly had to prioritise certain care practices over others in response to time pressure. This led to overuse of oxytocin for augmentation to ensure faster labour progression and decongestion of the, often overburdened, ward. Simultaneously, birth attendants had little time to monitor foetal and maternal condition. Surprisingly, while oxytocin was used in 146 out of 234 (62.4%) structured labour observations, only 9/234 (4.2%) women had active labour lasting more than 12 h. Correspondingly, 21/48 (43.8%) women who were augmented with oxytocin in the first stage of labour had uncomplicated labour progression at the start of augmentation. While the partograph was often not used for decision-making, timing of starting oxytocin often correlated with natural cycles of ward-rounds and shift-turnovers instead of individual women’s labour progression. This resulted in co-existence of ‘too early’ and ‘too late’ use of oxytocin. Liberal use of oxytocin for labour augmentation was facilitated by an underlying fear of prolonged labour and low alertness of oxytocin-related risks.ConclusionsTime scarcity in the labour ward often made birth attendants deviate from clinical guidelines for labour augmentation with oxytocin. Efforts to navigate time pressure resulted in too many women with uncomplicated labour progression receiving oxytocin with little monitoring of labour. Fear of prolonged labour and low alertness to oxytocin-mediated risks were crucial drivers. These findings call for research into safety and benefits of oxytocin in low-resource settings and interventions to address congestion in labour wards to prevent using oxytocin as a time-management tool.

Ditundukkan, Terasing, dan Imbalan Tak Setara: Praktik Pekerja Digital Media Sosial Suara.com

The use of social media in mainstream media has become commonplace in the digital age. This raises issues of copyright, quality, and exploitation of digital labour, such as low wages and high workloads. This research aims to reveal the practices of the digital labour in managing Suara.com's social media accounts based on Fuchs' digital labour theory. This research uses a qualitative approach with a case study method. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with digital labour managing Suara.com's social media accounts, non-participant observation, and analysis of internal documents and related publications. Through the study of the results associated with Christian Fuchs' digital labour theory, the results show that the digital labours are exploited in terms of workload, the absence of boundaries between personal life and work, and equal recognition of work results. This practice reflects the aspects of the digital labour exploitation, namely coercion, alienation, and appropriation.

Humanitarian capitalism: The labour regime of aid and the surrogate welfare state in times of global displacement

Recent literature on the geography and political economy of humanitarian migration governance has highlighted the diverse circuits of economic value being forged through ‘refugee crises’ across the world. However, there is a noticeable gap in the examination of what kind of labour relations sustain these new economic circuits. Additionally, there is limited analysis of how humanitarian labour practices intersect with existing geographies of labour precarity in regions where refugee aid operations are conducted. This article aims to address these gaps by exploring the dominant labour relations within the changing landscape of private and public service providers in Greece following the 2015–16 European ‘refugee crisis.’ The article argues that the growth of the refugee aid sector in Greece both capitalised on and exacerbated ongoing processes of labour market deregulation and public sector contraction. The burgeoning aid sector operated as a surrogate welfare state, relying on devalued local labour to address the basic social reproduction needs of global ‘surplus populations’. Extending discussions on the political economy of migration industries beyond profit-making to account for their role in transforming the welfare state and labour relations in spaces of accentuated capitalist crisis, the article demonstrates how the emergency temporalities of aid funding, the rise of public sector managerialism, and employment protection liberalisation impact migrant-facing services, effectively serving as both anti-labour and anti-immigration policy. Furthermore, it illustrates how politically induced migrant ruination is used as a lever to intensify and moralise humanitarian labour in a feedback loop detrimental to both working-class locals and migrants.

Archaic and Living Traditions: Ethnoarchaeology of Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago

The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago in the Bay of Bengal has been the home of three sects of people and cultures, namely, the natives, hybrids of convicts, and recent immigrants. The initial inhabitation of the islands is known through the study of shell middens and subsequent peopling by early ethnographic accounts and contemporary issue-based studies. The artifact-centric cultural inferences from such excavation reports, ethnographic accounts, material evidence, and living traditions are of immense value in understanding the cultural history of the archipelago. The cultural inferences derived from such studies under five categories—(a) settlements of the coast and the inland, (b) midden artifacts and native practices, (c) osseous trophies and wooden sculptures, (d) pottery and division of labor, and (e) seasons and preservation practices—are of ethnoarchaeological significance, despite the theoretical debate to consider the erstwhile ethnographic studies and museum collections as evidence for ethnoarchaeological interpretation.

Deciphering the Nature and Dynamics of Gig-Platform Jobs: Workers’ Hidden Precarity

The technology-driven gig-platform sector has emerged as a new source of employment generation both globally as well domestically. This recent transformation in the labour market is reshaping the nature of labour practices, labour relations, workers’ rights, and contracts. The sector has huge potential to generate millions of job opportunities by leveraging the use of digital technology. As this sector continues to generate more jobs, such jobs are portrayed as fostering economic growth, while creating ‘meaningful jobs,’ which are mutually beneficial to workers and employers in terms of providing ‘flexibility and freedom,’ ‘better earning opportunity,’ and ‘promoting social inclusion,’ by which it implies that women are increasingly equipped to find better jobs. This article critically examines the developmental roles of platform jobs which are being particularly highlighted within the policy circle, in academic literature, and tech companies through workers’ lens. It delves deeper into the discussion on those very aspects of platform jobs just listed, including the flexibility and freedom debate, workers’ income, and the gender aspect of jobs. In doing so, it carefully examines these aspects with respect to their implications on workers in terms of working conditions and regulatory aspects. The article brings out the workers’ precarity hidden within those developmental aspects of gig-platform jobs.

SUSTAINABLE SUPPLIER SELECTION IN INDIRECT PROCUREMENT: BEST PRACTICES AND CASE STUDIES IN ENGINEERING

This systematic review examines sustainable supplier selection in indirect procurement within the engineering sector, focusing on best practices, criteria, and impacts on organizational performance. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the review synthesizes findings from 35 articles published between 2000 and 2023. Key best practices identified include the integration of sustainability criteria into supplier evaluations, the use of lifecycle assessments (LCAs) to gauge environmental impact, and the implementation of carbon footprint analyses. Additionally, the emphasis on fair labor practices and the requirement for suppliers to obtain certifications like SA8000 enhance social sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The evolution of supplier selection criteria to encompass environmental, social, and economic factors reflects a more holistic approach, addressing complex sustainability challenges and driving long-term value and resilience in supply chains. The review also highlights the positive impacts of sustainable procurement practices, such as cost savings, risk mitigation, enhanced brand reputation, and improved operational efficiency. These findings underscore the strategic importance of sustainable procurement in achieving organizational sustainability goals and fostering sustainable development in the engineering sector.

OPTIMIZING HVAC EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY: A REVIEW OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS

This systematic review examines sustainable supplier selection in indirect procurement within the engineering sector, focusing on best practices, criteria, and impacts on organizational performance. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, the review synthesizes findings from 35 articles published between 2000 and 2023. Key best practices identified include the integration of sustainability criteria into supplier evaluations, the use of lifecycle assessments (LCAs) to gauge environmental impact, and the implementation of carbon footprint analyses. Additionally, the emphasis on fair labor practices and the requirement for suppliers to obtain certifications like SA8000 enhance social sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). The evolution of supplier selection criteria to encompass environmental, social, and economic factors reflects a more holistic approach, addressing complex sustainability challenges and driving long-term value and resilience in supply chains. The review also highlights the positive impacts of sustainable procurement practices, such as cost savings, risk mitigation, enhanced brand reputation, and improved operational efficiency. These findings underscore the strategic importance of sustainable procurement in achieving organizational sustainability goals and fostering sustainable development in the engineering sector.

Role of Gig Economy Participation in Shaping Worker Economic Security in Indonesia

Purpose: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of gig economy participation in shaping worker economic security in Indonesia. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: In Indonesia, gig economy participation offers flexibility and additional income, aiding financial stability for many workers. However, it also introduces challenges such as income instability, lack of social protections, and limited access to benefits. This situation can lead to significant economic insecurity, especially during downturns. While gig work provides opportunities, it highlights the need for enhanced labor policies and social protections to improve economic security for gig workers. Policymakers should address these issues to better integrate gig workers into social safety nets and ensure fair labor practices. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Theory of job demands-resources (JD-R), social protection theory & human capital theory may be used to anchor future studies on analyze the gender inequality in the workplace in Japan. Employers and gig platforms should create and integrate financial planning tools and resources specifically designed for gig workers. To address the economic insecurity faced by gig workers, policymakers should implement portable benefits systems that can be carried across various gig jobs.

A Multivariate Effect of Employee Relations on Organizational Performance

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of employee relations on organizational performance. A study of hospitality firms in Calabar, Cross River State. The specific objectives were to examine the effect of Hiring and selection, training and development, salaries and benefit on organizational performance. Primary data was employed in the study using questionnaire instrument. Simple regression statistical tool was adopted in the study. Based on the analysis of the results, the findings revealed that hiring and selection had a significant effect on performance, training and development had a significant effect on performance, salaries and benefits had a significant effect on performance of hospitality firms in Calabar. The study concluded that good employee relations result in highly committed, motivated and loyal employees in the organizations. In line with the findings, the study recommended that hospitality firms should focus more on implementing fair labor practices and building effective and sustainable employee relations that will ensure their growth and survival. Finally, management should devise other measures in which the employees could be effective in order to achieve effective performance.