Category: Writing

What should you do? If you decide to hike to the lodge or to
town, you will have to contend with your teammate’s sprained ankle, and you
will have to decide what to take with you. If you decide to stay and wait for
help, you will have to figure out how to keep warm at night and how to find
food.

Most behavior on the work site is governed by rules,
regulations, and common sense. Christopher Bauer, PhD, of Bauer Ethics Seminars
in Nashville, Tennessee, works with companies that want to build and maintain
great ethics. He points out that, in some situations it is not at all clear
what the right thing is to do. When there are multiple options for solving a
problem, but each requires some type of ethical compromise, that is called an
ethical dilemma. Here is an example: You discover that a worker at your site
got his job by lying about his work experience. You know that many deserving and
more qualified workers ought to have that job and that, in fact, this
individual may not be completely safe doing certain required tasks because of
his lack of experience. However, he has done an outstanding job so far, he is
well liked, and the job will likely fall behind if time is taken to replace
him.
• What would you do in this case?
• Which of your values support informing your supervisor
about what you have found out?
• Which of your values support saying nothing?
• Do you find yourself using rationalizations to support
your decision?
• If so, what kind of discomfort are your rationalizations
trying to reduce?
• If you were to confront this worker, what would you say?

1. How can you verify that you understand what someone else
is saying to you?
2. List four things that will help you communicate better in
writing.
3. Describe three things a construction worker would have to
read. Describe situations that require reading a paragraph or more.

1. How would you define “ethics”?
2. What benefits are there for doing what is ethically
right?
3. Explain one reason why people suffer from their own
unethical behavior.

1. Who has the primary responsibility for making decisions
about your education and training for work?
2. Which is likely to have the greatest impact on your
success in the career you have chosen: use of proper English, your attitude, or
your skill in the work you do?

This will be an ongoing activity throughout your career in
the construction industry. The people you come into contact with in various
occupations can be a valuable resource as you are job hunting, when you have
questions about new materials and techniques, or to help you solve a tricky
problem.

1. There are many professions and trades involved in the
planning and construction of a new home. This activity will help you examine
the roles of the occupations involved in the construction of a home.
2. • Posterboard • Rubber cement or library glue • Notebook
and pencil
3. As you meet new people in the industry, add their names
to your notebook.

Which trade does work that is commonly covered by a code?
a. Electricians
b. Carpenters
c. Plumbers
d. All of these choices are correct.

Which of the following might be covered by a building code?
a. Minimum size of floor framing materials
b. Type of building allowed in a certain area
c. Distance from road or street to front of building
d. All of these choices are correct.