<p>The principle purpose of this thesis has been to study and analyse the conception of men and women in business bankruptcy during the 20th century. The analysis is built on a theoretical gender perspective and, combining this view and business and bankruptcy research, the thesis has focused on five themes: business networks, bank contacts, business competence, business characteristics and finally bankruptcy causes. These themes have been in focus when analysing bankruptcies in Uppsala 1920-1939, 1988, 1992 and 1996. A questionnair- and interview study with receivers active in Sweden 2001 has also been carried out. From the bankruptcy cases that have been studied, no specific gender differences have really been discovered. There were some variations between men and women, but it is very hard to claim that these are related to the sex of the debtor more than to the branch or to the individuals. Changes from the inter-war period to the latter part of the 20th century are in these respects also small. The image that the receivers gave through the questionnaire and interview study indicates on the other hand that there existed a conception that men and women seemed different as business owners. It is obvious that there were many receivers who thought that women were different from men in a situation of business bankruptcy, even though several of them stated that they did not beleive in any gender differences.</p>

The principle purpose of this thesis has been to study and analyse the conception of men and women in business bankruptcy during the 20th century. The analysis is built on a theoretical gender perspective and, combining this view and business and bankruptcy research, the thesis has focused on five themes: business networks, bank contacts, business competence, business characteristics and finally bankruptcy causes. These themes have been in focus when analysing bankruptcies in Uppsala 1920-1939, 1988, 1992 and 1996. A questionnair- and interview study with receivers active in Sweden 2001 has also been carried out. From the bankruptcy cases that have been studied, no specific gender differences have really been discovered. There were some variations between men and women, but it is very hard to claim that these are related to the sex of the debtor more than to the branch or to the individuals. Changes from the inter-war period to the latter part of the 20th century are in these respects also small. The image that the receivers gave through the questionnaire and interview study indicates on the other hand that there existed a conception that men and women seemed different as business owners. It is obvious that there were many receivers who thought that women were different from men in a situation of business bankruptcy, even though several of them stated that they did not beleive in any gender differences.