Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 3 - 47

Re-imagining Live-In Staff Experiences
2021). Such integrated work environments heighten challenges related to physical
space, time management, and interpersonal relationships (Hirschy & Staten, 2021;
Rankin & Gulley, 2018).
This study views the necessity of long hours and high expectations for responsiveness
to be reflective of the persistent sense of urgency (Okun, 2021) that characterizes
White supremacy culture (ACPA Presidential Taskforce on 21st Century Employment in
Higher Education, 2022). Okun's (2021) framework offers a unique perspective for unpacking
how White supremacy-a construct that plays a central role in disconnecting
and dividing members of an organization based on race-manifests in higher education
organizations like residence life. White supremacy culture affects all members of
an organization as an invisible and systemic force that influences standards of practice
and inhibits progress in creating sustainable workplace experiences, especially for entry-level
professionals (ACPA Presidential Taskforce on 21st Century Employment in
Higher Education, 2022). In Okun's framework, urgency explains the underlying feeling
of " sacrificing potential allies for quick or highly visible results " (2021, p. 27), which
can make it difficult for staff to pause and engage in thoughtful, inclusive decision-making.
For live-in professionals, a sense of urgency can materialize as feeling the need
to move quickly or the pressure to complete tasks fast. This state of constant urgency
makes actually urgent situations less real, as individuals begin to feel that everything is
a matter of life and death, even when it is not (Okun, 2021).
The undermining of thoughtful and careful decision-making is a form of what
Alvesson and Spicer refer to as functional stupidity: an organization's support for a
" lack of reflexivity, substantive reasoning, and justification. It entails a refusal to use
intellectual resources outside a narrow and 'safe' terrain. . . . trapping individuals and
organizations into problematic patterns of thinking " (2012, p. 1196) and thus restricting
reflective communication and ultimately opportunities for change. In residence
life organizations, the fact that long hours and boundary challenges for live-in professionals
are seen as natural or inevitable reflects the presence of functional stupidity
within organizations and exemplifies the urgency domain of White supremacy culture
at work. There are legitimate times when residence life professionals must act quickly
and decisively; however, organizations with a strong adherence to urgency are driven
more by their orientation to action than the presence of actual emergencies (Alvesson
& Spicer, 2012).
When organizations are driven primarily by a sense of urgency, there is little space
for questioning current practices or engaging in critical reflection (Alvesson & Einola,
2018; Dee & Collinsworth, 2023). Employees may not feel they have the space to
question expectations about boundaries and may begin to believe that boundary-less
speed and efficiency are essential for success (Dee & Collinsworth, 2023). Organizational
functional stupidity limits members' ability to reflect and to question dominant
beliefs and expectations about how to perform their roles (Alvesson & Spicer, 2012). In
such conditions, individuals experience little autonomy and ultimately are left feeling
dissatisfied, leading to less effective decision-making, resentment, and burnout (Dee &
Collinsworth, 2023; Okun, 2021).
44 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 3