Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now considered to be one of the most important activities for companies as it greatly affects both companies and local communities. This study analyzes the effects of corporate social responsibility activities on the life recovery of employees. A questionnaire survey on the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster in Iwaki City (Fukushima, Japan) was conducted. Iwaki City was among the areas most severely affected by the disaster. The effect of CSR activities on the life recovery of employees was analyzed by structural equation modeling. Life recovery largely depended on health and human relationships. CSR activities related to these two factors, such as work–life balance and local community activities, increased the life recovery of employees. Companies have large resources for improving local community resilience and local communities can recover from a disaster in a timely and effective manner when companies provide appropriate assistance. This study reveals how companies can contribute to the recovery of local communities through their CSR activities.

1. [1] J. P. Sarmiento, G. Hoberman, M. Ilcheva, A. Asgary, A. M. Majano, S. Poggione, and L. R. Duran, “Private sector and disaster risk reduction: The cases of Bogota, Miami, Kingston, San Jose, Santiago, and Vancouver,” Int. J. of Disaster Risk Reduction, Vol.14, No.3, pp. 225-237, 2015.
2. [2] D. Paton and D. M. Johnston, “Disaster Resilience: An Integrated Approach,” Charles C Thomas Publisher, Springfield, IL, 2006.
3. [3] S. Hatakeyama, A. Sakata, A. Kawamoto, N. Itoh, and W. Shiraki, “Drawing Concept of Company BCP with Considering District Continuity and Propose of Measures for Reinforcing Disaster Resilience,” J. of Japan Society of Civil Engineers, Ser. F6 (Safety Problem), Vol.69, No.2, pp. I_25-I_30, 2013 (in Japanese).
4. [4] S. Torido, “Summary and Subjects of Region BCP,” J. of Japan Telework Society, Vol.8, No.2, pp. 37-41, 2010 (in Japanese).
5. [5] H. Baba, T. Watanabe, K. Miyata, and H. Matsumoto, “Area Business Continuity Management, A New Approach to Sustainable Local Economy,” J. of Disaster Research, Vol.10, No.2, pp. 204-209, 2015.
6. [6] M. Haraguchi, U. Lall, and K. Watanabe, “Building Private Sector Resilience: Directions After 2015 Sendai Framework,” J. of Disaster Research, Vol.11, No.3, pp. 535-543, 2016.
7. [7] The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), “UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction,” Geneva, Switzerland, 2009.
8. [8] M. Ishikawa, “A Study on Community-Based Reconstruction from Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster – A Case Study of Iwanuma City in Miyagi-Pref.,” J. of Disaster Research, Vol.10, No.5, pp. 807-817, 2015.
9. [9] I. Nakabayashi, “Damage Estimation Based On Functional Impediment of Life During Recovery from an Earthquake Disaster,” Comprehensive Urban Studies, Center for Urban Studies, Tokyo Metropolitan University, No.38, pp. 129-147, 1989 (in Japanese).
10. [10] M. Bruneau and A. Reinhorn, “Exploring the Concept of Seismic Resilience for Acute Care Facilities,” Earthquake Spectra, Vol.23, No.1, pp. 41-62, 2007.
11. [11] G. P. Cimellaro, A. M. Reinhorn, and M. Bruneau, “Framework for Analytical Quantification of Disaster Resilience,” Engineering Structures, Vol.32, No.11, pp. 3639-3649, 2010.
12. [12] H. V. Burton, G. Deierlein, D. Lallemant, and T. Lin, “Framework for Incorporating Probabilistic Building Performance in the Assessment of Community Seismic Resilience,” J. of Structural Engineering, C4015007, 2015.
13. [13] K. J. Tierney, “Businesses and Disasters: Vulnerability, impacts, and recovery,” Handbook of disaster research, Springer, New York, NY, 2007.
14. [14] Y. Takaura, “The Post-March 11 CSR in Japan: A Survey on Philanthropic Activities of 225 Japanese Companies Listed on the Nikkei Stock Average Index to Reconstruct the Communities Affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011,” J. of Japan Society for Business Ethics Study, No.20, pp. 201-212, 2013 (in Japanese).
15. [15] M. Friedman, “The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits,” New York Times Magazine, Vol.13, pp. 32-33, 1970.
16. [16] R. Freeman, “Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach,” Advances in Strategic Management, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 31-60, 1983.
17. [17] M. R. Kramer, “Creating Shared Value,” Harvard Business Review, Vol.89, No.1/2, pp. 62-77, 2011.
18. [18] A. Dahlsrud, “How Corporate Social Responsibility Is Defined: An Analysis of 37 Definitions,” Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 1-13, 2008.
19. [19] J. Twigg, “Corporate Social Responsibility and Disaster Reduction: A Global Overview,” Benfield Greig Hazard Research Centre, London, 2001.
20. [20] T. Izumi and R. Shaw, “Disaster Management and Private Sectors,” Springer, Tokyo, Japan, 2015.
21. [21] B. R. Johnson, E. Connolly, and T. S. Carter, “Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Fortune 100 Companies in Domestic and Int. Natural Disasters,” Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, No.18, Vol.6, pp. 352-369, 2011.
22. [22] Iwaki City, “Iwaki City, Testimonies and Records of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake Disasters,” Iwaki City, Japan, 2013 (in Japanese).
23. [23] Iwaki City, “Weekly Report of Iwaki City Emergency Management Headquarters,” 2016 (in Japanese), available at: http://www.city.iwaki.lg.jp/www/contents/1450768683538/simple/zhigai20160511.pdf [accessed 10 May 2016]
24. [24] A. Kuromiya, S. Tatsuki, H. Hayashi, T. Noda, K. Tamura, and R. Kimura, “Four Recovery Patterns from the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake: Using the 2001-2003-2005 Panel Data,” J. of Natural Disaster Science, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 43-60, 2006.
25. [25] R. Layard, “Happiness: Lessons from A New Science,” Penguin, UK, 2011.
26. [26] A. B. Carroll, “The Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility: Toward the Moral Management of Organizational Stakeholders,” Business Horizons, Vol.34, No.4, pp. 39-48, 1991.
27. [27] E. Ibuki, “CSR Management Strategy-Improving Competitiveness by “Social Responsibility”,” Toyo-Keizai Inc., 2005 (in Japanese).
28. [28] M. Umezu and M. Dan, “Does Business Ethics Strengthen Small and Medium Sized Companies? – From the Viewpoint of CSR –,” Japan Finance Corporation Research Institute Quarterly Research Report, Vol.28, pp. 75-88, 2015 (in Japanese).