Final answer:
Businesses are considered 'unrelated' when there's no strategic synergy or competitive benefits connecting their value chains.
Step-by-step explanation:
Different businesses are said to be "unrelated" when c) there is an absence of competitively valuable strategic fits between their respective value chains. When evaluating the relationship between different businesses, it's important to look beyond just product differences or industry classifications. The key factor is whether there are strategic synergies and competitive advantages that can be leveraged across the businesses. For example, a conglomerate owning businesses in entirely distinct markets can still find unrelatedness if there's no strategic value connecting those businesses, despite the diversity in products and markets. In contrast, tying sales and bundling are approaches used to create relationships between products or services, offering consumers a perceived or real advantage.