Final answer:
A strategic alliance is an inter-organizational relationship providing strategic advantage to the companies involved, similar to mutualism in symbiotic relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
An inter-organizational relationship that affords one or more companies in the relationship a strategic advantage is typically referred to as a strategic alliance. This type of alliance is formed when companies come together to pursue a set of agreed upon objectives while remaining independent organizations.
In symbiosis, at least one species benefits from the relationship, which can include mutualism (both benefit), commensalism (one benefits without harming the other), or parasitism (one benefits at the expense of the other). In business, strategic alliances are akin to mutualism, as all parties aim to derive a benefit from their partnership.