Key areas of responsibilities of vice principals in Guangzhou and Hong Kong

This study investigated the key areas of responsibilities of 58 vice principals working at secondary schools in Guangzhou, and compared the results with a recently published study based on a comparable sample in Hong Kong (Lee, Kwan, & Walker, 2009). Respective ranking results indicated that the top 3 areas of responsibilities engaged by secondary school vice principals in Guangzhou were: quality assurance and accountability, leader and teacher growth and development, and external communication and connection, whereas the top 3 areas of responsibilities engaged by secondary school vice principals in Hong Kong were: staff management, strategic direction and policy environment, and quality assurance and accountability. The comparison of absolute values indicated that Hong Kong vice principals were more frequently engaged in strategic direction and policy environment, staff management, and resources management than their counterparts in Guangzhou, whereas Guangzhou vice principals were more frequently engaged in leader and teacher growth and development, external communication and connection, and quality assurance and accountability than their counterparts in Hong Kong.