Browsing by Author "Ingham, J"

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    How prepared are small businesses for another earthquake disaster in New Zealand?
    (Tampere University of Technology, Tampere, Finland, 25/05/2016) Egbelakin, TK; Rabel, P; Wilkinson, S; Ingham, J; Eziaku, R; Saari, A; Huovinen, P
    Earthquakes are low probability, high consequence events which are known to cause significant damage. Small to medium-sized enterprises (SBEs) are particularly vulnerable to impacts arising from such disasters, including: business disruption, employee health and safety, financial strain, or even total loss of business. Owners of these SBEs can make a few key decisions to prepare their businesses for an earthquake, in order to ensure business continuity and the well-being of their employees. This study sought to examine the level of earthquake preparedness of SBEs located in high seismic risk regions by examining the extent of mitigation measures adopted five years post the Canterbury earthquake disaster. Using a mixed-methods research approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative data, the research findings revealed that a majority of SBEs operating in regions of high vulnerability to disaster are underprepared for a potential earthquake disaster, despite the general increased awareness of earthquake risks in New Zealand. Cost, time, insurance processes, and access to disaster mitigation information, were identified to be the most important and constraining factors in the overall decision-making process. The research findings will provide strategies to local authorities on how to assist SBEs in making better informed preparedness decisions, ultimately improving their resilience to earthquakes, and thus improving the resilience of the New Zealand community as a whole.
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    INTEGRATED FRAMEWORK FOR ENHANCING EARTHQUAKE RISK MITIGATION DECISIONS
    (Auckland University of Technology, 2015) Egbelakin, TEMITOPE; Wilkinson, S; Ingham, J
    The increasing scale of losses from earthquake disasters has reinforced the need for property owners to become proactive in seismic risk reduction programs. However, despite advancement in seismic design methods and legislative frameworks, building owners are found unwilling or lack motivation to adopt adequate mitigation measures that will reduce their vulnerability to earthquake disasters. Various theories and empirical findings have been used to explain the adoption of protective behaviours including seismic mitigation decisions, but their application has been inadequate to enhance building owners’ protective decisions. A holistic framework that incorporates the motivational orientations of decision-making, coupled with the social, cultural, economic, regulatory, institutional and political realms of earthquake risk mitigation to enhance building owners’ decisions to voluntarily implement adequate mitigation measures, is proposed. This framework attempts to address any multi-disciplinary barriers that exist in earthquake disaster management, by ensuring that stakeholders involved in seismic mitigation decisions work together to foster seismic rehabilitation of EPBs, as well as illuminate strategies that will initiate, promote and sustain the adoption of long-term earthquake mitigation.