Joseph L. Bower

JOSEPH L. BOWER, Donald K. David Professor Emeritus, has been a leader in general management at Harvard Business School for 51 years. He also served on the faculty of the Harvard Kennedy School during its first decade.  He has served in many administrative roles... View Details

Keywords: banking; chemical; electronics; financial services; home appliances; hotels ＆ motels; information technology industry; insurance industry; private equity (LBO funds); retailing

• August 2023
• Teaching Note

Huawei: A Global Tech Giant in the Crossfire of a Digital Cold War

By: William C. Kirby and Noah B. Truwit

Teaching Note for HBS Case No. 320-089. By 2020, Ren Zhengfei, CEO of Huawei, had transformed the small telephone switch manufacturer he founded in 1987 into a $120 billion telecommunications company poised to lead the lucrative rollout of fifth-generation (5G)... View Details

Keywords: Geopolitical Units; Business and Government Relations; International Relations; Communication Strategy; Telecommunications Industry; China

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Kirby, William C., and Noah B. Truwit. "Huawei: A Global Tech Giant in the Crossfire of a Digital Cold War." Harvard Business School Teaching Note 324-019, August 2023.

• December 2015 (Revised May 2016)
• Case

Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home

By: Jeffrey J. Bussgang and Christine Snively

In January 2015, Jibo Inc. had completed a raise of $25.3 million in Series A financing after a successful 2014 crowdfunding campaign for preorders of Jibo, the first social robot for the home. Over 4,800 Jibo units were preordered, generating $2.6 million in sales. On... View Details

Keywords: Business Development; Entrepreneurship; Applications and Software; Information Infrastructure; Business Startups; Technology Industry

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Bussgang, Jeffrey J., and Christine Snively. "Jibo: A Social Robot for the Home." Harvard Business School Case 816-003, December 2015. (Revised May 2016.)

• March 2007 (Revised April 2007)
• Case

Fujifilm: A Second Foundation

Fujifilm was the second largest manufacturer of photographic film in the world when digital imaging began to substitute for its core business. In contrast to some photography incumbents, such as Polaroid, Fuji had a relatively successful transition to digital imaging.... View Details

Keywords: Growth and Development Strategy; Transition; Mission and Purpose; Globalized Markets and Industries; Opportunities; Electronics Industry; Technology Industry

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Gavetti, Giovanni M., Mary Tripsas, and Yaichi Aoshima. "Fujifilm: A Second Foundation." Harvard Business School Case 807-137, March 2007. (Revised April 2007.)

Bed Bath & Beyond: The New Strategy Drive Shareholder Value

This case analyzes the creation, loss, and attempted re-creation of competitive advantage. At one time, Bed Bath & Beyond was one of the most successful specialty retailers in the United States-it's growth and profit margins far exceeded rates at peer... View Details

• February 2017 (Revised June 2017)
• Case

ExxonMobil: Business as Usual? (A)

By: George Serafeim, Shiva Rajgopal and David Freiberg

Climate change was becoming an important societal and business issue as more governments were introducing climate change related regulations and investors became increasibly worried about stranded assets within oil and gas firms. In September 2016, the U.S. Securities... View Details

Keywords: Oil ＆ Gas; Oil Prices; Oil Companies; Asset Impairment; Predictive Analytics; Sustainability; Environmental Impact; Innovation; Disclosure; Accounting; Valuation; Climate Change; Renewable Energy; Environmental Sustainability; Financial Reporting; Energy Industry

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Serafeim, George, Shiva Rajgopal, and David Freiberg. "ExxonMobil: Business as Usual? (A)." Harvard Business School Case 117-046, February 2017. (Revised June 2017.)

• 22 Jan 2018
• Blog Post

"Luxury, Technology, Integration"

The above title was my answer when I was asked earlier this fall to sum up my experience in Milan in three words, working as an MBA intern within the office of the CEO of the YOOX Net-A-Porter (YNAP) Group. In a world where technology and... View Details

Keywords: Consumer Products / Retail

• September 2024
• Case

Nvidia, Inc. in 2024 and the Future of AI

By: David B. Yoffie and Sarah von Bargen

Nvidia was one of the most successful companies in the world, reaching $3.4 trillion in valuation on June 18th, 2024. While Microsoft and Apple quickly recaptured the value crown, some analysts forecasted that Nvidia was so strongly positioned that it might become the... View Details

Keywords: Customer Value and Value Chain; Price; Technological Innovation; Competition; Vertical Integration; Valuation; Technology Industry

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Yoffie, David B., and Sarah von Bargen. "Nvidia, Inc. in 2024 and the Future of AI." Harvard Business School Case 725-360, September 2024.

• December 2016 (Revised January 2017)
• Supplement

Accounting for the iPhone Upgrade Program (B)

By: Jonas Heese, Krishna G. Palepu, H. David Sherman and Monica Baraldi

In October 2016, Apple Inc. announced the financial results for its fiscal year 2016. CEO Tim Cook commented on a very successful fiscal year 2016 and focused on all the positive financial results. However, Apple’s 2016 annual report was also telling another story.... View Details

Keywords: Apple Inc.; iPhone 6s; Accounting; Revenue Recognition; California; United States

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Heese, Jonas, Krishna G. Palepu, H. David Sherman, and Monica Baraldi. "Accounting for the iPhone Upgrade Program (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 117-039, December 2016. (Revised January 2017.)

• December 2009 (Revised March 2025)
• Case

Phreesia: The Patient Intake Company

By: Regina E. Herzlinger, Sunaina Yarlagadda and Brian L. Walker

How should the co-founders of an organization that provides patient sign-in and billing services scale their company after five years of successfully targeting small private physician practices? Phreesia had deployed a direct mail and sales force strategy that resulted... View Details

Keywords: Advertising; Social Entrepreneurship; Revenue; Health Care and Treatment; Health Industry

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Herzlinger, Regina E., Sunaina Yarlagadda, and Brian L. Walker. "Phreesia: The Patient Intake Company." Harvard Business School Case 310-066, December 2009. (Revised March 2025.)

• March 2008
• Case

Novartis AG: Science-Based Business

By: H. Kent Bowen and Courtney Purrington

Novartis is a science-based drug company, which has important implications for its business strategy. It is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world with over $38B in sales in 2007. Pharmaceuticals account for slightly over $24B of that total. In 2007,... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Invention; Resource Allocation; Product Development; Partners and Partnerships; Research and Development; Science-Based Business; Pharmaceutical Industry

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Bowen, H. Kent, and Courtney Purrington. "Novartis AG: Science-Based Business." Harvard Business School Case 608-136, March 2008.

• 27 Feb 2006
• Research & Ideas

Take Responsibility for Rising Stars

however, most boards have focused on CEO succession, giving short shrift to systematic leadership development. After all, there was little risk of a calamity occurring if the board didn't monitor the leadership pipeline. There was also... View Details

Keywords: by Jeffrey M. Cohn, Rakesh Khurana & Laura Reeves

• 25 Oct 2010
• HBS Case

Tesco’s Stumble into the US Market

Fresh & Easy to become profitable. Correct decision? A: Sir Terry Leahy, Tesco's highly successful CEO for more than a decade, recently announced that he would step down in favor of Philip Clarke, a... View Details

Keywords: by Sean Silverthorne; Retail

• June 2016
• Case

Publicis Groupe 2016: Maurice and the Millennials

By: Rosabeth Moss Kanter and Jonathan Cohen

Having built Publicis Groupe through acquisitions maintained as separate brands, CEO Maurice Lévy wanted to transform the advertising and marketing firm to an integrated digital-ready enterprise to address industry changes. In early 2016, following a reorganization, he... View Details

Keywords: Managing Change; Transformations; Digital; Millennials; Change; Innovation; Acquisitions; Merger; Culture; Advertising Agency; Reorganization; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Information Technology; Change Management; Restructuring; Management Succession; Marketing; Mergers and Acquisitions; Transformation; Innovation and Invention; Digital Marketing; Advertising Industry

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Kanter, Rosabeth Moss, and Jonathan Cohen. "Publicis Groupe 2016: Maurice and the Millennials." Harvard Business School Case 316-127, June 2016.

• 16 Jul 2014
• HBS Case

Marketing Obamacare

Massachusetts' successful health connector (which predated Obamacare) to run it. "When you have a CEO who is an ex-CMO, that is going to put the marketing tool kit front and center," says Quelch,... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding; Health