During the 1982–1988 window, research coalesced around the primacy of strategic fit between a firm’s external environment, internal structure, and management processes, with a leaning toward contingency in strategy implementation. Studies embraced empirical testing of strategy-structure alignment, explored organizational context, and examined how administrative mechanisms (planning, control, rewards) influence execution within strategic business units. Methodologically, scholars employed cross-sectional and longitudinal data analyses, case-based inquiry, and comparative studies to uncover the conditions under which strategic choices translate into performance, creating a unifying emphasis on context-sensitive design.