Abstract: In this paper, we apply the concept of interorganizational fit to the use of global account management programs in multinational corporations. It is predicted that greater fit between vendor and customer on a variety of strategic as well as structural aspects will result in higher performance of the relationship. This is contrasted with a bargaining perspective approach to managing customer relationships. Support for the hypotheses is found using a survey of 106 global account managers in 16 multinational corporations. The concept of "fit" is central to much of the contemporary literature on organizations. Using the logic of contingency theory, fit suggests that a given set of environmental characteristics demands a certain response from an organization in order for it to be effective. This approach was first used to characterize organizational structure
