Given a typical business life cycle, increasing competition for customers will lead to mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies among firms in the market. This situation is characteristic of....a. the introductory or embryonic stage, or phase, of the business life cycle. b the growth stage, or phase, of the business life cycle. the tertiary stage, or phase, of the business life cycle. the mature stage, or phase, of the business life cycle. e. the shakeout stage, or phase, of the business life cycle