Comparative analysis of construction businesses in New Zealand: Global Financial Crisis, earthquakes, and COVID-19

Abstract

Construction businesses are increasingly exposed to diverse and recurring crises, yet their resilience across different disruption types remains underexplored. Most existing research focuses on single events, overlooking the compounded effects of crises such as economic downturns, natural disasters, and pandemics. This study addresses that gap by analyzing how New Zealand construction businesses responded to three major disruptions: the 2008 global financial crisis, the Christchurch and Kaikoura earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These cases were selected because they represent the most transformative economic, natural, and health-related shocks in recent New Zealand history, enabling a rare longitudinal and cross-crisis perspective. Using a qualitative, exploratory multi-case study approach, the research draws on 16 semi-structured interviews with industry professionals and a systematic literature review. To enhance validity, interview data were triangulated with secondary sources such as industry reports and government documents. Thematic analysis, supported by NVivo and guided by Resilience Engineering, Institutional Learning, and Systems Thinking, ensured robust and triangulated findings. Three consistent vulnerability areas emerged across all crises: contractual rigidity, supply chain fragility, and workforce constraints. These issues were intensified during COVID-19 due to extended uncertainty, regulatory shifts, and global logistics challenges. While some businesses innovated at the firm level, responses remained largely reactive, exposing sector-wide gaps in learning and foresight. The study offers a cross-crisis resilience framework linking business vulnerabilities to theoretical constructs and recommends adaptive contracts, diversified supply strategies, and institutional learning mechanisms to strengthen future preparedness in the construction sector. This framework advances both theoretical understanding and practical guidance for policymakers and industry leaders.