Abstract
The complexities of Public Administration have gained the growing attention of scholars around the world, mainly due to the impacts of the reforms implemented under the doctrine of New Public Management (which aims to apply concepts and practices of private management in public management) on civil servants. The aim of this study is to find out how Portuguese citizens evaluate the Portuguese Public Administration under the aspects of bureaucracy, organisation of human resources, innovation, skills and attitudes of civil servants, its motivation and recognition; and to verify if there are differences of opinion between respondents working in public sector and respondents from other sectors. This study follows a quali-quantitative approach, and data were collected through an online survey in the period from June to December 2020. The survey was answered by 1119 citizens from all districts of Portugal. The main findings reveal a still high level of bureaucracy in the Portuguese Public Administration; weaknesses in the management of human resources, namely regarding the motivation and recognition of civil servants; and difficulties in the establishment of a meritocratic system of recruitment and performance evaluation of civil servants. Statistically significant evaluation differences (chi-square test and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U tests, involving five hypotheses) were found between the public sector and other sectors, except for the motivation variable.

Abstract
The European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are the main instrument of the European Union (EU) Cohesion Policy to promote convergence, economic growth and reduce imbalances between EU members. The objectives of the 2014-2020 programming period follow the agenda of the Europe 2020 Strategy to promote smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of EU members. Since before joining the EU, in 1986, until the end of the Portugal 2020 Partnership Agreement (PT2020), Portugal will have received more than EUR 130 billion. Have the subsidies that Portugal has received been well applied? Our study fills a gap in the literature by portraying citizens' perceptions about the effectiveness of EU funds for the development of the country and its regions. The study is quantitative in nature, and a non-probabilistic sample of 1119 participants answered our survey. A high proportion (76%) of the respondents considered that EU funds contributed to the development of the region where they live, although a significant percentage of the respondents (more than half) considered that there may be corruption in Portugal. The Portuguese also mentioned the existence of practices such as favouritism and lobbying regarding the approval of projects. Our findings are supported by the literature, which refers to "lost opportunities" in the inefficient application of ESIF, while recognising that EU funds have played a significant role in Portugal's development over the last three decades.

Abstract
This study seeks to answer the following research question: "What factors can explain the number of patent filing requests made by residents in Brazil at patent offices in Brazil, the United States, Europe, and triadic patent families?". The methods used in this research are quantitative, using big data from private and public investments in Science and Technology, and about patent deposit numbers in Brazil from 2000 to 2017. A model of linear regression was performed and explains how these investments in Science and Technology influence patent deposit numbers. The results of this research study point towards the importance of universities, up and beyond the traditional training and education aspect of university activity. The importance of public and private innovation investments is also shown to be important. This study shows that the patent registrations in the different regions under analysis are affected by different factors. There is thus no single formula towards the creation of innovation output and governments would do well to continue to invest in higher education while also investing in public research and development activities. Additionally, and not least important, private entities should be continually encouraged to make innovation investments and favourable government policies need to thus exist for this to happen. Finally, the low numbers regarding patent filings in Brazil may be linked to institutional deficiencies in the country. Patent breaches may be difficult to punish, and the judicial system may be slow and untrustworthy, compared to the United States and to Europe-leading to diminished patent registrations in Brazil. A set of implications and recommendations for policy derived from this study and will be strategic for policymakers.

Abstract
Micro and Small Enterprises have emerged as an important alternative for the generation of jobs and income, mainly in countries that present serious market failures for the creation of productive jobs. However, the lack of commercial and managerial skills, inadequate access to markets, as well as the absence of an entrepreneurial culture has led to a high level of failure in these ventures. Additionally, the current competitive scenario has been increasingly based on innovation, responsible for the destruction of traditional competitive barriers, requiring a new approach on the part of Micro and Small Enterprises to be able to remain in the market sustainably. Accordingly, this research aims to determine the influence that business management has on the degree of innovation of Brazilian Micro and Small Enterprises through Structural Equation Modeling. As a theoretical contribution, the present investigation may point to statistical evidence that may support a causal inference between business management, understood in the present investigation as a decision process on strategic and operational aspects of a business, and the innovation capacity of companies. Furthermore, this research can provide important practical contributions by highlighting the relevance that business management has for Micro and Small Enterprises, also pointing to the need for Micro and Small Enterprises to adopt systematic business management practices that raise their potential concerning the development of innovations and the maintenance of a sustainable competitive position.

Abstract
Micro and Small Enterprises have assumed an important strategic role for the economic and social development of Brazil, representing about 99% of all business establishments and contributing to the generation of 55.3% of all formal jobs in the country. However, these ventures have faced a series of restrictions on entrepreneurial activity, such as low government support, high taxes, and excessive bureaucracy. In this adverse context, innovation assumes a significant mediation role for increasing business performance and, consequently, maintaining the permanence of these ventures in the market. Accordingly, the present investigation aimed to identify the degree of innovation, the main obstacles and facilitators of innovation, as well as the types of innovation prevalent in Brazilian Micro and Small Enterprises through a systematic literature review. The literature review included 21 articles extracted from the Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo, and Spell databases. In general, the analyzed literature points out that innovation in these ventures is the result of simple actions, such as imitation and the acquisition of technology from third parties, and that the degree of innovation is low, prevailing in the types of innovation in Products and Marketing. The main barriers highlighted were related to the lack of resources, precarious managerial and commercial capacities, and shortages of qualified labor, while the factors that facilitate innovation are related to the support of government programs and the organization of Micro and Small Enterprises in productive arrangements.

Abstract