This study deals with the question of tenure/non-tenure of the Greek school principals and its possible impact on their role in the light of the international influences. In developing our theoretical perspective, we draw on the tenure/non-tenure discourse and the centralised bureaucratic and new public management model.

The aim of this study was to explore the role of school principals and their term of office in regard to school improvement. In particular, we investigated the convergences and divergences between the views of school principals in Greece and the findings of relevant international literature. To this end, we collected and analysed data from 66 school principals across 89 secondary state schools in Achaia, Greece, using an anonymous questionnaire. Survey data revealed that most participants assessed positively the contribution of essential aspects of international literature to school improvement. The same applied for the role and term of office of school principals in Greece, despite the factors that were acknowledged to limit their autonomy. More-qualified school principals appeared to have a more positive stance on assessment and human resource management. In contrast, novices had greater difficulty in managing priorities and tended to be more cautious at the prospect of being assessed. They also appeared to be more satisfied with the institution of term of office as per the Greek model. Conclusions on the implications are presented.

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