ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the findings from a comparative analysis of perceived earthquake impacts, mitigation strategies, and organisational resilience of three major business sectors such as accommodation/food services, manufacturing and education/training in the region of Canterbury. Comparing the performance of these sectors on earthquake impacts, mitigation strategies, and organisational resilience offers valuable insights into organisational planning and preparedness for disasters. The education/training sector in Christchurch has the second largest growth rate in international student numbers in New Zealand since the earthquakes and contributes five per cent to Christchurch's Gross domestic product (GDP). The organisations adaptive capacity is an integral constituent of organisational resilience. An emerging research strand links organisational resilience to business recovery. This body of research suggests that resilience consists of two dimensions, planned and adaptive. The need to understand organisational resilience across and within sectors is critical for building resilient communities. It concludes that sectorial differences exist for both earthquake impacts on organisation resources and basic infrastructure.
