Contribution of corporate social responsibility to post-disaster life recovery of employees

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.