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Face-to-face tutorial sessions remain an integral part of the delivery mode of distance education in Ghana. It is sometimes used as the sole mode of delivery of educational content in some distance education institutions. This study, therefore, investigated the interconnectedness of elements of face-to-face tutorials among distance education students.

The study adopted the positivist approach and used descriptive research as a design. Simple random and stratified sampling techniques were used, and a sample of 1,491 students was drawn from a population of 44,001 across all regions of Ghana. Data were collected with a self-administered questionnaire and analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics.

The study found that collaborative learning, counselling, self-directed learning, motivation and critical thinking had strong interrelationships as elements of face-to-face tutorials.

This quantitative study was limited to the views of students on the elements of face-to-face tutorials. It was envisaged, however, that the views of the tutors and administrators who conducted the face-to-face tutorials could have enriched the findings of the study. In addition, adopting a mixed design approach where both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the participants could have given an in-depth and enriched perspective of the current study.

Management of distance education institutions need to focus on these important elements and their inter-relationships as they might lead to improved academic and social progress among students. In addition, institutions must also organise orientations and seminars for course facilitators and new students on the need to develop commitments towards the elements of face-to-face tutorials as requirement so as to succeed on their course of study.

This is a novel approach that will help improve the understanding of students on the importance of the activities they engage in during face-to-face tutorials. It would also help managers of institutions using face-to-face tutorials to focus on these important elements that might lead to improved academic work among students.

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to explore the connection between green supply chain practices (GSCPs) and sustained business advantage from an emerging market perspective. Research on the phenomenon is limited in developing countries where green supply chain (GSC) concepts are now increasingly gaining ground. The study also attempts a general literature review to examine the mediating role of effective environmental benchmarking and leadership factors on the relationship. It further provides insight on the moderating effect of constructs such as people involvement and customer preferences.

Separate searches were conducted in key academic databases such as Emerald Online Journals, Taylor and Francis Online Journals, JSTOR Online Journals and Elsevier Online Journals. Also, version 7 of the Publish or Perish software was used to search for paper focused on GSCPs and sustainability. In total, 19 articles met the predefined criteria and were used.

The results from the synthesis of the reviewed literature shows that despite the fact that leadership factors mediates the positive relationship between GSCPs and sustained business advantage, research on supply chain (SC) leadership as a construct is limited and requires further empirical research.

Some limitations must be considered and could provide guidance for future study; this study did not collect data to test the proposed model. Moreover the study hypotheses proposed need to be tested to validate the model proposed.

This research by promoting an understanding of how GSCPs impacts the activities of buying and supply organizations in emerging markets. Findings on the leadership factors and people involvement constructs will assist SC operators in emerging markets to tap the tremendous potential inherent in participatory SC approaches to remain competitive and acquire sustained business advantage.

The study offers opportunity for empirical testing of the mediating (effective environmental benchmarking and leadership factors) and moderating (people involvement and customer preferences) variables in an emerging market context as this could provide fresh insights on the complexity of the relationships.