At the core of contingency theory, a major theory in management accounting, is the concept
of fit. We critically discuss forms of fit as presented in overview articles from the management
accounting field, highlighting forms of fit that have not appeared in prior overview
articles (matching fit with hetero-performance on the fit line and/or asymmetric effects
of mis-fit on performance). We also address some confusing arguments in the literature
concerning the moderation form of fit and what has been referred as the mediation form
of fit. In a second step, we reevaluate the appropriateness of statistical techniques used
to test sub-forms of fit, highlighting the difficulties in differentiating conclusively between
them. Specifically, we present polynomial regression analysis (PRA) in conjunction with the
response surface methodology (RSM) as a powerful methodological alternative and discuss
its ability to differentiate between the sub-forms of fit. We also discuss the strengths and
weaknesses of structural equation modeling (SEM) to test for forms of fit.