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2The Web Center: A Case Study inStrategy and PowerChristel Villarivera, Shane McWilliams, and Candace BoyceScott Stevens once again found himself on a plane ride to a small town with a hugehealth system in need of assistance. His consulting firm, MBV Consulting, had the welldeservedreputation of successfully assisting healthcare systems in the creation andimplementation of new information technologies. Still, each new project presentedobstacles and guaranteed difficulties. Stevens knew the project before him would behis largest and most formidable yet. Metropolitan College Health System (MCHS)already had some Web-based technology in place and had recently established a Webcenter. They had used consulting firms in the past, but to no avail; little progress hadbeen made in taking the health system’s Web technology to the next level, despiteurging from various departments at MCHS.Stevens had been hired by Bill Bradley, chief information officer (CIO), to assess thebarriers to the Web center’s development beyond a mere static presence on the Internet.MBV, because of its proven track record, was contracted by MCHS to bring anoutside consultant, Stevens, into the picture to provide MBV expertise.Stevens knew he would have to deal with this project on an organizational front.Externally, MCHS had a reputation of excellence as a quality institution. It was recognizedas one of the top hospital systems in the country. Internally, the culture atMCHS was still very much dependent on positions of power and seemed to impederather than facilitate forward progress.The role and impact the Web center would havein such a stagnant organization was unclear. It seemed to Stevens that the Web centerhad much potential but would ultimately fail if it did not assert itself. Before anythingcould happen with the Web system, the issue of the Web center and the organizationalculture of MCHS would need to be addressed.MCHS and the Web CenterMetropolitan College Hospital is a 560-bed teaching hospital that serves as the majorprovider of healthcare services for residents in a major metropolitan area in the Northeast.MCHS is a network comprised of the hospital and its outpatient and researchfacilities, as well as nursing and medical schools.Although MCHS had an excellent reputationfor providing quality care, some people in the organization believed that itfaced losing an edge to its competitors if it did not consider the use of Web technologynot only to promote its health services but to provide them as well. The Web wasclearly becoming an avenue by which health systems could offer interactive care, such21