Developing an effective gaming management program in Taiwan

A shortage in the number of trained management employees in the gaming industry in Asia currently exists due to the lack of casino management certificate programs offered by institutions of higher education. The rationale for certificate programs, as it has evolved nationally, seems clear enough. These programs are a response to the vocational needs of individuals and the educational needs of evolving fields in gaming industry. Unfortunately, a small number of certificate programs exist in Asian countries. Therefore, the need exists to investigate the development f gaming management certificate programs in Taiwan‟s higher education. The purpose of this study is to examine the prospects for providing comprehensive gaming management certificate programs to be embedded in the hospitality education system in Taiwan. With the findings of this study, educators will be able to identify the skills and knowledge that employers in today‟s gaming industry find essential, and they will be able to design appropriate gaming-related coursework and classes which will enable the students to obtain the skills and knowledge deemed most important. A qualitative research design has been adapted for this study. A series of in-depth interviews were conducted with casino employees and managers in Macau, China and with hospitality management program administrators in Taiwan. A cross-group perspective was used to analyze and interpret the data collected in this study because it was hoped that the combination of academic and industry perspectives would generate a deeper understanding of an explanation for the perceived benefits of a gaming management certificate program. The four research questions are mainly satisfied by the findings. First, the findings overall reveal favorable perceptions toward the gaming management certificate programs, in terms of individual professional development and the increased rate of enrollment for the department. Second, the way to overcome the difficulties and critical issues contribute several key elements for developing an effective gaming management program. Last, some suggestions and comments proposed by three different groups of participants evolve into innovative guidelines for future curriculum design. The discussion takes into consideration the literature on Taiwan‟s higher educational system and gaming industry in Asian jurisdictions. The implications of these findings are intended to augment the applicability for different cultures and geographies, providing essentials for developing an effective gaming management certificate program. The chapter concludes with the striving direction for Taiwan‟s gaming education.