Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from The Concept of Fit in Strategy Research: Towards Verbal and Statistical Correspondence
In reviewing the various conceptualizations and tests of fit in strategic management research, two characteristics stand out. One is the degree of specificity of the theoretical relationship indicating the level of precision in the specification of the functional form of fit. For example, it is important to distinguish between the specification and tests of fit between two variables (say, strategy and structure) and the specification of some general form of congruency among a set of strategy variables. The former invokes a more precisely understood functional form, while the latter is more general in its conceptualization. The other characteristic pertains to the ghgice of anchoring the conceptualization (and tests). Some researchers specify and test the concept of fit with explicit (and idiosyncratic) link to a criterion performance or effectiveness), while others view it as independent of any criterion, thus reflecting a more universal view. The power and usefulness of these dimensions is best demonstrated by employing them to identify distinct perspectives of fit as they apply to strategic management research. Figure l is a conceptual framework that employs the two dimensions to maps six perspectives of fit. These are: (a) fit as moderation; (b) fit as mediation; (c) fit as matching; (d) fit as gestalts; (e) fit as profile-deviation; and (f) fit as covariation. The ensuing discussion is paper is organized as follows: each perspective is discussed independently in -terms of the central issues of conceptualizations and statistical testing. Subsequently, a set of issues pertaining to theory-construction are discussed to develop implications for future research. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
