Taking advantage of its location in Atlantic County, Stockton University has seized the opportunity to become the research and academic center for gaming, tourism and hospitality in the region. In addition to courses offered for students, the university established a campus foothold in Atlantic City, its birthplace as an educational institution.
The Stockton School of Business also created the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism. The institute collects data on the state of the industry in the state. Now comes a plan to launch the International Journal of Gaming, Hospitality, and Tourism (IJGHT) to explore the universe of tourism, gaming and hospitality.
Its purpose is “to bridge the gap between academics and industry practitioners,” said Jane Bokunewicz, coordinator of the Levenson Institute.
The academic community typically publishes research papers in educational journals that might pique the curiosity of industry leaders. “But industry practitioners favor trade magazines and rarely read the more academic publications,” Bokunewicz said.
On the flip side, academics who are required to publish research only receive credit for work that appears in peer-reviewed academic journals, such as the new publication. Too often, university faculty focus on journals where they can obtain the needed credits rather that write for trade journals. “This creates a communication gap that IJGHT hopes to fill,” Bokunewicz said.
The idea for IJGHT emanated from a strategy session that focused on using the work of the institute and professors to create more value for industry stakeholders, said Alphonso Ogbuehi, dean of the School of Business at Stockton University. With new entertainment and tourism proposals in the works in Atlantic City, the journal seemed an ideal opportunity to include and enhance Stockton’s role in the industry and in the local community, he said. “There’s so much to offer in the Atlantic City area and this is an opportunity for us to share Atlantic City’s impact and role in the industry,” Ogbuehi said. More than that, the journal provides a global view of gaming, hospitality and tourism.
Set to debut in the fall, the journal evolved prior to Covid-19, but the pandemic highlighted the need for such a publication, said Bokunewicz. “The past year has forced the industry to adapt ‘on the run’ to a rapidly changing market landscape, making important operational decisions sometimes with limited information.”
The Casino Association of New Jersey (CANJ), which represents Atlantic City’s nine casino resorts, sees good things coming from the journal.
“The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the health and well-being of New Jersey’s families, as well as our state and local economy,’ said CANJ President Steve Callender.
Indeed, this forum will provide an opportunity to showcase the vital impact the Atlantic City casino industry has on the state and regional economy. Callender said. “It will also show how important it is that we work together to ensure our industry recovers and is able to continue supporting the businesses and the tens of thousands of employees who rely on it for their economic livelihood.”
If the twice-a-year, online-only journal can connect industry officials with the latest insights and data from a team of experts, these officials could make more informed decisions about the future of their businesses, Bokunewicz said. “We’re also looking for industry leaders to write timely and relevant articles. For example, we’ll have an industry-leader spotlight segment.”
The journal will be available through the institute website. The hope is that the content will find readers in management within the industry, Bokunewicz said. For example, the theme of the first issue is “Resilience and Revitalization.”
“Although these topics might not be of interest to all line level employees, I am sure some of them, especially those interested in advancing into management level positions, will find the articles and papers to be of interest,” Bokunewicz said. “We also hope to have Stockton students involved in the journal, and they could provide the perspective of interns and employees.”
While the focus will center on research relating directly to gaming, hospitality and tourism, it could delve into any business discipline such as arts and humanities; business and enterprise; education; health sciences; natural sciences and mathematics; and social and behavioral sciences.
IJGHT expects to be international in scope with an editorial board comprised of professors throughout the U.S. and beyond. “The journal offers an opportunity for academics and industry professionals from Stockton University, Atlantic City and around the world to share their expertise on global and local gaming, hospitality and tourism issues,” Ogbuehi said. “Furthermore, this journal enables Stockton University School of Business to stake out its position as a global leader in academic research in the gaming area.” From a strategic standpoint, it enhances the Stockton brand among researchers and practitioners in the field, he said.
Submissions will be accepted for academic review through May 31. Interested individuals can find more information at www.Stockton.edu/IJGHT.
