Comparing Online Social Networks Ties as Tool for Entrepreneurial Learning Readiness in Small Economies

Online social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn create the opportunity to expand online and face-to-face ties. Diverse online social network composed by weak and strong ties is essential for the young student entrepreneurs. Online networks off diverse learning and online ex-pertize opportunities to the young student entrepreneur. This paper explores the entrepreneurial learning leverage that young students enrolled in higher education system can get from online ties in small economies through comparing Western Balkan region and more precisely a small developing country such as Albania with a small-developed county such as Estonia. The paper explores how online ties support young student readiness to use online networking platforms for online entrepreneurial learning and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition focusing in online ties established in Facebook and LinkedIn. Further online learning strategies are explored through focus group analysis, blog analysis and interviews with young experienced entrepreneurs. Young students use online ties for entrepreneurial knowledge sharing but there a difference between the Facebook tie and the LinkedIn tie. The study concludes with the suggestion of development of entrepreneurial learning orientation strategies and tools that facilitate the online learning process in both online networks focusing in specific online tie that is the group tie.