Abstract

COVID-19 affects people and companies. They are experiencing dramatic changes in work processes, communication processes, and customer management. This whole new paradigm has brought new challenges to organizations, particularly to small and medium enterprises, which have limited budgets and resources to ensure their technological infrastructure. This study aims to explore how these companies have adapted to the challenges posed by COVID-19 in their compliance practices with general data protection regulation (GDPR), auditing, and forensic security analysis. Furthermore, this study analyzes the risks that have been amplified in this period and identifies new vulnerabilities that have arisen from increased dependence on information technology in a period when most organizations have their employees in teleworking.

Abstract
The achievement of the 2030 Agenda implies a shared responsibility in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Local government, in particular municipalities, is closer to citizens and, therefore, better placed to respond to the needs of each region. This study intends to explore initiatives promoted by civil society, businesses, and local organizations in the context of each municipality in Portugal to address the sustainable development goals established in the 2030 Agenda. It adopts mixed methods to quantify the impact of these initiatives in the territories and qualitatively explores the inherent characteristics associated with each project. The findings show that there are significant asymmetries in the number of projects in the Portuguese regions and that there is a moderately positive correlation between the number of projects and the municipality's population density and GDP. It was also found that the projects focus mainly on areas such as SDG1, SDG1, SDG11, and SDG13. The projects are mainly characterized by offering platforms for collaborative work among the various stakeholders, seeking to meet the challenges of combating social exclusion, and supporting environmental education. Above all, this study offers implications for local agents to work in networks and establish synergies between projects that may lead to greater territorial coverage and contribute to reducing the socioeconomic asymmetries that exist in the country.

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the human resource management practices and the associated dimensions of quality of employment in university spin-offs. Through this, it becomes possible to explore and recognize the practices and difficulties placed on the employees of university spin-offs. Design/methodology/approach The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) framework to assess the quality of work in the European Union is adopted. It is used a qualitative approach through the development of four case studies at university spin-offs located in Portugal. These case studies relate to four sectors of activity, such as information technology, urban mobility, health and electronics. Findings The findings reveal that most of the challenges of quality of work in a spin-off university are common to those in an SME or micro company. Among these factors, the authors highlight the lack of job security, reduced or no social protection and very low income and nonwage pecuniary benefits. Other factors specific to university spin-offs also emerge, such as the numerous opportunities for skills development and training, the potentialities to become an entrepreneur and the high number of working hours that are necessary to face the vibrant market dynamics. Originality/value The study aims to contribute, in a theoretical and empirically grounded basis, to the knowledge about the quality of employment in a spin-off university. This work becomes relevant for policymakers to understand in depth the specific challenges faced by employees of a spin-off university.

Abstract
The entrepreneurs responsible for establishing university spinoffs are incessantly looking for new ways to leverage existing technology or create an entirely new product or service market. The creation of disruptive innovative solutions has assumed a key role in enhancing the role of university spinoffs in the global marketplace. This study aims to characterize and explore the phenomenon of disruptive innovation in university spinoffs and identify how university spinoffs recognize and evaluate low-end and new-market disruptive technologies. The findings reveal that university spin-offs have essentially privileged new-market disruptive technologies. Participation in trade fairs, conferences and journals have been the main methods adopted by these organizations to identify disruptive technologies, while the evaluation of the potential of these disruptive technologies is essentially based on the experience and scientific knowledge of the founders of the university spin-offs. Furthermore, the size and number of years of activity of university spinoffs are two factors that allow us to understand the greater proximity of the younger and smaller spinoffs with universities and research centers, whereas the larger organizations prioritize mainly market analysis and product research techniques.

Abstract
Purpose This study aims to present a practical approach to recognizing leadership styles by adopting a serious game in the context of an entrepreneurship course in higher education. Design/methodology/approach The action-research methodology is adopted to explore how the various leadership styles are perceived and assimilated by students. Furthermore, students are organized into eight groups to explore this phenomenon through a thematic analysis. Findings The findings reveal that transformational and transactional leadership can coexist and be applied in organizational management. The results also indicate that students with relevant professional experience have a greater ability to identify the benefits and challenges associated with each leadership style as they recognize these styles throughout their professional careers. Originality/value This paper mainly offers practical implications by presenting an alternative and complementary approach to exploring leadership styles. Through this approach, students can recognize the various leadership styles in the game personas and realize their impact on the dynamics of an organization.

Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to explore the changes imposed by the general data protection regulation (GDPR) on software engineering practices. The fundamental objective is to have a perception of the practices and phases that have experienced the greatest changes. Additionally, it aims to identify a set of good practices that can be adopted by software engineering companies. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a qualitative methodology through four case studies involving Portuguese software engineering companies. Two of these companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) while the other remaining two are micro-companies. The thematic analysis is adopted to identify patterns in the performed interviews. Findings The findings indicate that significant changes have occurred at all stages of software development. In particular, the initial stages of identifying requirements and modeling processes were the stages that experienced the greatest changes. On the opposite, the technical development phase has not noticeably changed but, nevertheless, it is necessary to look at the importance of training software developers for GDPR rules and practices. Research limitations/implications Two relevant limitations were identified as follows: only four case studies involving micro-companies and SMEs were considered, and only the traditional software development methodology was considered. The use of agile methodologies was not explored in this study and the findings can only be mainly applied to the waterfall model. Originality/value This study offers mainly practical contributions by identifying a set of challenges that are posed to software engineering companies by the implementation of GDPR. Through their knowledge, it is expected to help these companies to better prepare themselves and anticipate the challenges they will necessarily face.