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Does traders' experience reduce their propensity to participate in speculate bubbles? This paper studies this issue from a theoretical and an experimental viewpoint. We focus on a game in which bubbles, if they arise, are irrational, as in the Smith, Suchanek, and Williams (1988)'s set up. Our theoretical results are based on Camerer and Ho (1999)'s Experience-Weighted Attraction learning model. Adaptive traders are assumed to adjust their behavior according to actions' past performance. In the long run, learning induces the market to converge to the unique no bubble equilibrium. However, learning initially increases traders' propensity to speculate. In the short run, more experienced traders thus create more bubbles. An experiment shows that bubbles are very pervasive despite the fact that subjects have become experienced. Our estimation of the EWA model also indicates that learning is at work.

Cette thèse se compose de trois documents. Les deux premiers articles étudient comment les entreprises devraient être structurés de manière à faciliter leur accès aux fonds quand il y a des conflits d'agence entre les emprunteurs (entreprises) et les prêteurs (les investisseurs). Chapitre 1 étudie la relation entre la portée de l'entreprise et des contraintes financières. Chapitre 2 utilise une approche contractuelle optimale pour analyser le développement d'un produit innovant par des alliances stratégiques des deux entreprises. Le chapitre 3 analyse si l'expérience des commerçants peut réduire leur propension à spéculer ?, This thesis consists of three self-contained papers. The first two papers study how firms should be structured to facilitate their access to funds in the face of agency conflicts between borrowers (firms) and lenders (investors). Chapter 1 studies the relationship between firm scope and financial constraints. Chapter 2 uses an optimal contracting approach to analyze the development of an innovative product through strategic alliance by an entrepreneur and an incumbent. Chapter 3 analyzes whether traders’ experience reduce their propensity to speculate?