Sexual Harassment – Bathsheba Syndrome

SEXUAL HARASSMENT – BATHSHEBA SYNDROME

Musings of a Veteran

By

VIKRAM KARVE

For the past few days – the media is full of news of the sexual misconduct of a powerful “Movie Mogul” from Hollywood.

Powerful persons indulging in sexual harassment is nothing new.

Over the years – there have been umpteen news reports about inappropriate sexual behavior by “successful” and powerful individuals in various organizations – politics, corporates, media, bureaucracy, military, academia – everywhere.  

Many “Leaders” feel that they are “entitled” to “sexual favours” from their subordinates – as one of the “perks” of their “success”.

The power they wield gives them a sense of invincibility – and they brazenly start indulging in inappropriate behavior like sexual harassment.

Such unethical conduct can be attributed to the “Bathsheba Syndrome”

BATHSHEBA SYNDROME

The Bathsheba Syndrome is named after King David and his affair with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his Army Officers.

There are many versions of this apocryphal story – and you can read them online on the internet – so – I will give you just the “gist” of the story, in brief.

One night – when King David was strolling on the terrace of his palace – he looked down – and – he saw a beautiful woman bathing on her terrace.

King David desired the beautiful woman – so he enquired from his servants who the woman was.

His servants told King David that the beautiful woman was “Bathsheba” – the wife of one of his Army Officers – who was out fighting the war on the battlefront.

Overcome by desire – King David sent for her – and – Bathsheba came to him – she had no choice but to obey – because – after all – he was the “all-powerful” King.

King David forced Bathsheba into a sexual relationship and started having an affair with her.

King David then ensured that Bathsheba’s husband got killed on the battlefront by commanding his General to send Bathsheba’s husband to the “forefront of the hottest battle” and then retiring the rest of the army – so that Bathsheba’s husband would be surrounded by the enemy and get killed in the battle.

After Bathsheba’s husband was dead – Kind David married Bathsheba – and made Bathsheba one of his wives.

“MORAL OF THE STORY”

Three salient aspects emerge from this story.

1.  King David used his power to coerce Bathsheba into a sexual relationship and he committed adultery with her. 

2.  He abused his authority to get Bathsheba’s husband killed. 

3.  Then – he used his power to marry Bathsheba.  

There is a saying (attributed to Lord Acton): 

Power tends to corrupt – and – absolute power corrupts absolutely 

The “Bathsheba Syndrome” exemplifies this saying (in the sexual domain). 

A major ramification of the “Bathsheba Syndrome” is “Sexual Harassment”.

Due to Bathsheba Syndrome – some powerful people develop a feeling that it is their right to sexually exploit their juniors.

Ramifications of “Bathsheba Syndrome” include sexual misconduct, adultery, inappropriate behaviour, sexual harassment, sexual assault and even rape.

We constantly see news about powerful people indulging in sexual improprieties.

Such “Sexual Predators” can be seen in all professions – as is evinced by news stories emanating from time to time – “Movie Moguls” – “Media Czars” – “Corporate Big-Shots” – we see sexual harassment cases which are manifestations of the “Bathsheba Syndrome” everywhere.

These “powerful” sexual predators feel that they are above the law – and they shamelessly make sexual advances towards the “objects of their desire” – feeling confident – that their “victims” will meekly succumb and will not dare to speak up.

This silence of the victims further exacerbates the “Bathsheba Syndrome” in the perpetrator and emboldens him to do even more horrendous acts of sexual abuse – even to the extent of sexual assault and rape.

Silence of the “Victims” makes the Sexual Predator feel that he can get away with anything.

An example of this is the recent case of the “Movie Mogul” where the numerous “Victims” of his Sexual Abuse kept silent for many years for various reasons – fear, shame, career advancement etc. – and now – they are suddenly speaking out – after the sexual misconduct of the “Movie Mogul” has been exposed.

Another curious aspect of “Bathsheba Syndrome” cases is that when allegations of sexual harassment are made against a powerful man – the “ecosystem” rushes to protect the “perpetrator” and tries to shame the “victim” by casting aspersions on her character and expressing doubts on her version of the sexual abuse.

You must have observed this “Perpetrator Veneration” and “Victim Shaming” in many “sexual harassment” cases – where “apologists” rush to defend the “bigwig” who was accused of sexual misbehavior while simultaneously trying to tarnish the reputation of the “victim” of sexual abuse.

The Military tends to take sexual misconduct cases seriously (especially “stealing the affection of a brother officer’s wife) and acts promptly against the perpetrators using the “catch-all” offence “conduct unbecoming of an officer” to take disciplinary action against the transgressor.

Women are not the only victims of sexual harassment – even men may be subjected to sexual abuse – in rare cases – by powerful women – or – in some cases – by powerful men with “queer” inclinations who may make unwelcome sexual overtures towards vulnerable men/boys.

You may have seen news reports from time about innocent boys sodomized by perverted sexual predators.

An example of a powerful woman CEO making unwelcome sexual advances on her subordinate in a corporate organization is depicted in the movie Disclosure – an American erotic thriller film produced in 1994 – starring Michael Douglas and Demi Moore – on the theme of Sexual Harassment.

I still remember a quote from this movie:

“…“Sexual Harassment” is not about “Sex” – it is about “Power”…”

Yes – “Sexual Harassment” is about “Power”.

That is the essence of the “Bathsheba Syndrome”.

Dear Reader:

You may have observed examples of “Bathsheba Syndrome” – in society – in your workplace or other organisations – or seen reports on the media – where powerful people indulge in sexual harassment.

During my long stint in the Navy – I did observe a few examples of “Bathsheba Syndrome” – and maybe – if appropriate – I may narrate a few “stories” – sometime in the future.

But – one thing is sure – sooner or later – these “Bathsheba Syndrome” types are exposed for their sexual misconduct – and then – their fall from grace is terrible – they face dishonor – they lose their reputations – they lose all the goodwill they have earned – their personal relationships are wrecked – yes – as we see in the case of the “Movie Mogul” – the fall is devastating. 

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
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Disclaimer:

1. This blog post is a fictional spoof, satire, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

Office Wife versus Housewife

OFFICE WIFE versus HOUSEWIFE
Short Fiction Story - A Delightful Romance
By
VIKRAM KARVE

From my Creative Writing Archives:

A delightful flirty romance I wrote around 12 years ago – in 2005

OFFICE-WIFE versus HOUSE-WIFE – a story by Vikram Karve

Pune. 

Fergusson College Road. 

Vaishali Restaurant. 

5 PM on a Sunday evening. 

Crowded. 

Crammed full. 

Jam-packed. 

All tables occupied chock-a-block. 


Aisles teeming with people waiting with watchful eyes for signs of someone finishing their refreshments. 

Suddenly I see a woman waving to me, beckoning me with her hand. 

Her face seems familiar – oh yes – she is Ravi’s wife. 

She is sitting all alone on a table for two with a half eaten masala dosa in front of her.

I walk towards her and give her a smile.

“Sit down, sit down,” she says to me, gesturing with her hand towards the empty chair opposite her, “Come on. Sit down here with me, otherwise you will have to wait for hours.”

I sit down opposite her and say: “Thanks.”

Ravi’s wife summons a waiter and orders peremptorily: “SPDP...”

“Two SPDP...?” the waiter asks.

“No – one SPDP for Madam,” she says pointing to the empty plate in front of me without even bothering to ask me, “and – get one Kachori for me.”

Before I can recover my wits – she says: “You like SPDP don’t you...? Ravi told me.”

“Yes – I love the SPDP at Vaishali. In fact – I come all the way here every Sunday…”

“To spend the day reading in the library opposite followed by an SPDP at Vaishali...” she completes my sentence.

“Ravi told you all this?”

“Of course. Ravi has told me everything about you. Ravi admires you so much – he always talks about you.” 

“Really...? But he never tells me anything about you...” I say to Ravi’s wife.

“What’s there to tell about me...? I am only his Housewife. You are his Office Wife...” she says.

“Come on. Please don’t say that. There is nothing like that between me and Ravi. We are just colleagues – workmates. That’s all...” I say.

“Workmates...? You are his SOULMATE – but – I am only his MATE...!!!” Ravi’s wife remarks sarcastically to me.

I am struck dumb – I feel a bit uneasy – but suddenly – the plate of SPDP is kept in front of me – so I look down – and – I begin to eat.

“I’m sorry...” she says, “Please don’t get angry. I was just teasing. I want you to be Ravi’s friend. He likes you so much. That’s why he is so happy in office and he doing so well in his work.”

I stop eating – I look up at her vacuously, wondering what to say.

But – before I can speak – Ravi’s wife says to me: “Ravi appreciates you so much – that he even brings you home to me every evening in his thoughts and talks – that’s why I wanted to meet you.”

“We’ve met before…”

“Only once – and that too only an introduction – at the Office Annual Day get-together. We are hardly married for three months – you know – and you all are so busy in the office – with your targets and all – so I decided to meet you, to talk to you – to get to know you better – and – to make a friendship with you…”

“You mean this is no coincidence – are you telling me that my suddenly meeting you here in Vaishali is not a coincidence…?”

“Ha Ha – I contrived this coincidence. I came to the library also – but you were so busy browsing books that I did not want to disturb you – so I waited here in Vaishali knowing you would surely come for your SPDP...”

“You’re not eating your Kachori...” I say, trying to change the direction of the conversation.

“Here, you eat,” she says pushing her untouched plate of Kachori and the katori of whipped curds towards me, “I am all full – I ate a Cheese Uttapam, Idli-Vada Sambar, God-knows-what – while waiting for you to come…” 

I start eating my SPDP (Sev Potato Dahi Puri)

Ravi’s wife leans forward – and – she casually picks up a Sev Potato Dahi Puri from my plate – she pops the SPDP into her mouth and she says: “Wow. I love the chatpata flavour of SPDP – you call it Umami taste or something – that’s what you told Ravi – isn’t it...?”

“I think I’ll go now...” I say – feeling distinctly uncomfortable – making up my mind to have a long talk with Ravi in the office – the moment I meet him in the morning at work.

“No, No, Don’t Go – I want to show you something...” Ravi’s wife says to me.

“Show me something...?”

“Yes – that’s why I came all the way here to meet you...”

We finish the SPDP and Kachori. 

I insist on paying the bill – she doesn’t object too much.

And then – she takes me to the drapery section of the Shopping Mall nearby.

“We are furnishing our new house...” she says – pointing at the curtain cloth on display.

I look at her – feeling clueless.

Then Ravi’s wife says to me: “I like yellow – you like blue. And – ever since you have told Ravi about the aesthetic cool tranquil beauty of the blue colour – Ravi is besotted with everything blue – blue shirts, blue trousers, blue table-covers, blue bed-sheets, blue napkins – everything blue – that you make him buy…”

I look furtively and self-consciously at the blue dress I am wearing – and I say to Ravi’s wife: “Okay – tell me which curtains you like.”

Ravi’s wife points to a bright yellow floral print and says: “I like that yellow curtain – I love bright yellow – so lively and cheerful – I hate sober gloomy colours – especially blue – it depresses me.”

Next morning at the office – Ravi says to me: “Hey – keep yourself free in the evening. We will go to Deccan for some shopping. You’ve got to help me select curtains for our new home. Then we’ll have SPDP at Vaishali.”

“Sure, Ravi – I will love to come with you and help you select curtains for your new home...” I say.

She is the housewife – she likes yellow.

I am the “office wife” – I like blue. 

And – one thing is sure. 

Ravi will buy whatever I tell him – after all – I am the “office-wife” – not a mere housewife.

Now – I have got time till evening to decide one thing:

Which colour curtains should I tell Ravi to buy – Blue Curtains – or – Yellow Curtains – my choice – or – her choice...?

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

This Story is a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the story are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This story written by me Vikram Karve in the year 2005 and earlier posted by me online in my blogs at urls: https://karvefiction.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/spdp-sev-potato-dahi-puri/  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/10/my-favourite-short-stories-part-62.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2013/07/housewife-versus-office-wife.html and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/06/office-wife-versus-housewife-naughty.html

Job Satisfaction Paradox

JOB SATISFACTION

A PARADOX

Monday Morning Musings

By  

VIKRAM KARVE 

WHY DO YOU WORK...?

In today’s world – it is naive to assume that people work primarily to achieve professional fulfillment and job satisfaction. 

As a matter of fact – they seem to work because – what they get “on the job” enables them to achieve whatever they want to accomplish “off the job”. 

 

At the lower levels in an organisation people work for survival – but at middle levels – many persons work for their leisure. 

Yes – most people work so that they can enjoy their leisure. 

Think about it.

Don’t we all work so that we can enjoy our leisure? 

You slog 5 days a week – so that you can enjoy the 2 days of weekend that you get off.

Do you work because you enjoy doing the job...? 

Not at all.

You work for the money they pay you – so that – whatever the money that you earn from working – you can use that money to enjoy your leisure – once your basic needs are met. 

I have observed this factor especially in many youngsters working in IT, ITES, BPO and many other industries – who wait for the weekend – to enjoy what they have earned by “toiling” in the “sweatshops” for the entire week. 

Then – they blow up what they have earned during the week having a ball in the weekend.

Some call it “unwinding”

You “wind” yourself up during the week – slogging away doing something you do not enjoy doing.

And then – you “unwind” yourself during the weekend – doing something that you enjoy doing. 

You wind. 

And then – you unwind.

It is like clockwork – as if you are a clock to wind and unwind...!!!

Of course – there a very few lucky persons who seem to have found their metier in their jobs and genuinely enjoy their work.

    

In most cases – on the job – employees have to “produce” – and there is no time for any enjoyment. 

Both Competition and Compensation levels are higher than ever before – and – the chief casualties of this competitive work environment are those traditional so-called motivators like “job satisfaction”.

 

Today – a typical professional may no longer have an undivided loyalty and commitment towards his job. 

Therefore – it is incorrect to believe that an employee’s work life is spent entirely in the pursuit of “job satisfaction”. 

Perhaps – an employee is not actively seeking job satisfaction as much as aspiring towards other important needs and considerations like own career progression, standard of living, quality of life, material gain and personal gratification.

 

For most people their job is a means to achieving their desired ends.

DOES JOB SATISFACTION IMPROVE JOB PERFORMANCE...?

 

One of the typical propositions held by most people connected with Human Resource (HR) Management is that job satisfaction is positively associated with job performance. 

But in actual fact – does Job Satisfaction lead to improved Job Performance...?

Does a “satisfied” employee always “produce” more...?

It may be wrong to presume and take for granted a fictitious linkage between job satisfaction and employee productivity in all cases. 

 

In some cases – you may be shocked to find that while the so-called “job satisfaction” was increasing – the productivity of the individual was declining.

The reason behind this apparent paradox is the mistaken concept that a satisfied employee will devote his dedicated attention to his work.

 

A “satisfied” or “happy” employee may begin to develop an attitude of self-complacency – and – an overall sense of well-being – and – consequently – his temperament may become one of ignorant submission and passivity – rather than one of positive action and active involvement. 

I have observed this behaviour among employees in many organisations – particularly in government and public sector organisations – where employment is secure – and – where seniority is more important than performance in career progression.

As a result – it is not too uncommon to see that the productivity of the employee does not always closely follow his upward satisfaction curve.

 

Another important aspect of this situation is the rate of Constructive Conflict.

If properly used and suggestively applied in the organizational context – the managerial implantation of a limited degree of constructive conflict does indeed shake these smug people and “satisfied” employees out of their lethargy – and enables them to achieve a certain individuality of action. 

Viewed from the perspective of the organization – the key issue is not having satisfied, happy employees – but maximizing productivity – the bottom line being increasing profit and achieving organisational goals. 

 

Yes – that is what the organization has to decide and prioritize – what is more important:

Does the organisation want to pamper  employees or maximize productivity...?

Does the organisation want to help employees in achieving their personal goals or is it more important to achieve organisational goals...? 

Is there a congruence between “Job Satisfaction” and “Job Performance”...? 

Do “satisfied” employees always “produce” more...? 

THE MYTH OF JOB SATISFACTION

An individual’s NEED consists of two components:

1. APPETITE 

2. DESIRE

 

With changing value systems – it may be wrong to believe that increased satisfaction means increased motivation as propounded by various conventional theories of motivation (Maslow’s Need Hierarchy, for example). 

Here it is vital to understand that “need” comprises two components: “Appetite” and “Desire”. 

Appetite corresponds to that part of each hierarchical level of need – the non-satisfaction of which can be expected to normally inhibit or deter progress up the hierarchy of needs. 

 

Desire corresponds with the greedy, relatively unjustified part of each hierarchical level of need – the satisfaction of which should not be viewed as necessary prerequisite.

 

With changing values – and – by habit and custom – yesterday’s desires become today’s appetite. 

The effect of extrinsic “motivational techniques” like job satisfaction will eventually be to increase need satisfaction threshold limits and draw more energies towards the satisfaction of desires. 

 
The myth of job satisfaction exerts severe pressures upon both the employer and the employee. 

The employer convinces himself that he must provide satisfaction on the job – and the employee rationalizes his behaviour and anticipates satisfaction.

In this two-faceted pressure approach – the entire organization and all stakeholders suffer from unwanted conflicts, unfulfilled expectations, and unkept promises.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All Stories in this Blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (all rights reserved)

This is an abridged and revised version of one of my early writings on Human Resource (HR) Management. I wrote this article more than 24 years ago, in the year 1992, and I have posted this article online a number of times including at urls: http://creative.sulekha.com/human-resource-management-the-myth-of-job-satisfaction_354574_blog  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2011/07/job-satisfaction-and-motivation-myth.html  and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2014/07/clockwork-careers-job-satisfaction-myth.html  etc