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What factors in the organizational culture of an ethically exemplary corporation are responsible for encouraging ethical decision making? This question was analyzed through an exploratory case study of a top pharmaceutical company that is a global leader in ethics. The participating organization is renowned in public opinion polls of ethics, credibility, and trust. This research explored organizational culture, communication in issues management and public relations, management theory, and deontological or utilitarian moral philosophy as factors that might encourage ethical analysis. Our understanding of organizational ethics is enhanced by elucidating factors the case revealed as encouraging ethical analysis: an organizational culture that emphasizes the importance of ethics, Theory Y management, a symmetrical worldview valuing innovation and dialogue, a counseling role for issues management or public relations in the dominant coalition, rewarding ethical behavior, ethical analysis using moral philosophy, consistency between individual values and organizational philosophy, and ethics training. These factors, and perhaps others as yet unidentified, worked together to create an environment that encouraged ethical decision making at the exemplar organization.

The manuscript investigates how social media were used during a flood disaster managed by public affairs officers. We conducted high‐level “elite” interviews with the state's top emergency managers about their social media policies, practices, and use in both media relations and citizen communication. We explored the strategies and communication models implemented, challenges and barriers for effective adoption of these platforms, and ethical implications in the use social media during natural disasters. The study investigates gaps between theories and practice, adopting a multidisciplinary perspective that involves public relations, social media studies, government/public affairs, and public sector communication. Recommendations are offered to improve disaster communication via social media including dedicated staff and resources, evaluation, symmetry, and the use of ethical communication to quell rumors or misinformation during a disaster.

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