Protracted Effect: Surveying Teachers' Experiences in the Aftermath of the Christchurch Earthquakes

This study explored teachers' perceptions of organizational disaster responsiveness (i.e., support and safety procedures implemented by the schools) and experiences of burnout one year after a series of major earthquakes, framed by the effect of the earthquakes on the teachers' personal lives and school functioning. The findings obtained from a sample of 125 teachers across 29 schools suggest that burnout develops in a protracted manner, and is significantly related to the perceived quality of organisational disaster responsiveness, the effect of the disaster on personal and work domains, and reported absenteeism and turnover intentions. Moreover, results from a qualitative analysis of open-ended survey questions, involving a subgroup of 41 teachers, indicated that increased emotion work, lack of institutional support, growing workload and job complexity, and concerns regarding one's health and well-being and that of their families constituted the primary factors associated with the increasing experience of burnout. The study concludes with practical guidelines aimed at assisting organisations engaged in disaster recovery processes, emphasising employee-centred interventions. Specific recommendations concerning long-term oriented institutional support, workload and communications management, and collaborative organisational alliances are outlined. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.