Disasters are rare events with major consequences; yet comparatively little is known about managing employee needs in disaster situations. Based on case studies of four organisations following the devastating earthquakes of 2010 - 2011 in Christchurch, New Zealand, this paper presents a framework using redefined notions of employee needs and expectations, and charting the ways in which these influence organisational recovery and performance. Analysis of in-depth interview data from 47 respondents in four organisations highlighted the evolving nature of employee needs and the crucial role of middle management leadership in mitigating the effects of disasters. The findings have counterintuitive implications for human resource functions in a disaster, suggesting that organisational justice forms a central framework for managing organisational responses to support and engage employees for promoting business recovery.
A story submitted by Peter Seager to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Jennifer to the QuakeStories website.
A story submitted by Sarah to the QuakeStories website.
Oral history interview with Rosie Laing about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Belinda Grant about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Kristy Constable-Brown about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Coralie Winn about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Transcript of Kirstin Golding's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Transcript of Julie's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Transcript of Mark Darbyshire's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Transcript of Lavina's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Transcript of Stephen Bourke's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Summary of oral history interview with Lynne Smith about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Kath Graham about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
The "Lyttelton Review" newsletter for 21 November 2011, produced by the Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre.
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 19 November 2012 entitled, "Christchurch: Trying to make sense of living here....".
Disasters, either man-made or natural, are characterised by a multiplicity of factors including loss of property, life, environmental degradation, and psychosocial malfunction of the affected community. Although much research has been undertaken on proactive disaster management to help reduce the impacts of natural and man-made disasters, many challenges still remain. In particular, the desire to re-house the affected as quickly as possible can affect long-term recovery if a considered approach is not adopted. Promoting recovery activities, coordination, and information sharing at national and international levels are crucial to avoid duplication. Mannakkara and Wilkinson’s (2014) modified “Build Back Better” (BBB) concept aims for better resilience by incorporating key resilience elements in post-disaster restoration. This research conducted an investigation into the effectiveness of BBB in the recovery process after the 2010–2011 earthquakes in greater Christchurch, New Zealand. The BBB’s impact was assessed in terms of its five key components: built environment, natural environment, social environment, economic environment, and implementation process. This research identified how the modified BBB propositions can assist in disaster risk reduction in the future, and used both qualitative and quantitative data from both the Christchurch and Waimakariri recovery processes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key officials from the Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority, and city councils, and supplemented by reviewing of the relevant literature. Collecting data from both qualitative and quantitative sources enabled triangulation of the data. The interviewees had directly participated in all phases of the recovery, which helped the researcher gain a clear understanding of the recovery process. The findings led to the identification of best practices from the Christchurch and Waimakariri recovery processes and underlined the effectiveness of the BBB approach for all recovery efforts. This study contributed an assessment tool to aid the measurement of resilience achieved through BBB indicators. This tool provides systematic and structured approach to measure the performance of ongoing recovery.
A story submitted by Gaynor James to the QuakeStories website.
An honours-level thesis report by Shermine Kwok, an undergraduate student from the National University of Singapore. Shermine attended the University of Canterbury on an exchange in 2012. Inspired by the resilience of Christchurch and its residents, she returned to Christchurch to study the creative urban regeneration efforts since the earthquakes of 2010 - 2011.
Summary of oral history interview with Christine about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Summary of oral history interview with Alice Ridley about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Transcript of Ann's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
An entry from Deb Robertson's blog for 2 September 2014 entitled, "The heart expands when it is broken [four years]".The entry was downloaded on 2 November 2016.
Between September 2010 and February 2012 (a period of 18 months) the Canterbury region of New Zealand has experienced over 10,000 earthquakes (Nicholls, 2012). This report is the first in a series that will describe the impact of the Canterbury earthquake on businesses. This initial report gives a high level overview of the earthquake events and the impacts on the Canterbury economy and businesses. This report is intended to provide background and context for more in-depth analyses to come in future reports.
A pdf transcript of Martin's second earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox Take 2 project. Interviewer: Samuel Hope. Transcriber: Lauren Millar.
Summary of oral history interview with Sharon Torstonson about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
Transcript of Aaron Lewis's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
A pdf transcript of Paula Brankin's earthquake story, captured by the UC QuakeBox project.
Summary of oral history interview with Anne about her experiences of the Canterbury earthquakes.
