Final answer:
A firm looking to expand by collaborating with other companies would use a corporate-level cooperative strategy, including mergers and acquisitions. This strategy is influenced by antitrust laws and can involve forming conglomerates or associations for diversification and protection from market changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a firm wants to expand its operations by collaborating with one or more companies, it would typically use a corporate-level cooperative strategy. This kind of strategy involves high-level decisions made to expand the business and can include mergers, acquisitions, conglomerates, and franchising. A corporate merger involves two companies joining together, while an acquisition refers to one firm buying another. Antitrust laws may impact these strategies by ensuring competition is maintained in the market. Additionally, companies might join together in associations or cooperative agreements for diversification, as in the case of conglomerates, which include multiple businesses offering unrelated products as a way to protect the corporation from market volatility.