Entrepreneurship education and Web 2.0

Purpose - The social nature of the Web 2.0 environment creates marketing opportunities via shared learning through online exchange of views. Web 2.0 creates opportunities and poses challenges for, amongst other things, the management of education and business reputation. This paper aims to look at Web 2.0 and explore the uses to which it might be put in furthering entrepreneurship education in general and education business links in particular. It seeks to describe, explain and analyse the use of Web 2.0 as a marketing communication and educational tool that can add value to existing links between education and business in the UK education system. Design/methodology/approach - Issues around entrepreneurship education and education business links are explored in relation to the social web (Web 2.0) online marketing environment. The paper offers an indication of the uses to which schools, colleges and universities put the social web. It looks at how businesses use Web 2.0 to market and communicate with their education stakeholders about a range of issues. In the social web the rights, duties, obligations, needs and expectations of different stakeholders compete, conflict with and complement one another. Web 2.0 offers scope and space to enhance entrepreneurship education, teaching, learning and assessment. It is a tool that can add value to entrepreneurship education provision and delivery. Findings - The paper explores how businesses and education providers (schools, colleges and universities) position themselves to build effective, efficient and productive relationships in the era of Web 2.0. It looks at how businesses, especially small businesses, might communicate and position their offering through this medium with schools, colleges and universities as well as with their own customers, consumers and other stakeholders to add value, build brand and enhance reputation. Information and misinformation in the Web 2.0 environment are an issue that needs to be addressed in order to engage with and limit potential reputational damage. Used appropriately, Web 2.0 provides opportunities for new forms of stakeholder engagement and can be an efficient and effective tool for communication in as well as across the business and education sectors. In helping develop education business links Web 2.0 is a tool that can further entrepreneurship education through use in action learning environments. It serves as a distribution vehicle for sourcing and accessing information. Originality/value - The paper develops knowledge, grows understanding and offers new insights into online education business communication practices and web brand management. It adds to and brings together academic debates in the areas of entrepreneurship education and social media. Online communities of interest use Web 2.0 to discuss, debate, network, and influence. They seek to lobby as well as shape and form opinion across the political and business spectrum. A model is developed to explain and account for the growth of knowledge through education and business in the Web 2.0 arena. As a communication platform Web 2.0 services the free flow, exchange and distribution of information. It can help build brand value and is an important innovative marketing tool for both education and business.