John Dunlop’s analysis and study of the concepts, structure, function, practices, outcome and the institution that are constitutive of the employment relationship have paved the way in the establishment of the main framework of an industrial relations system.
According to Dunlop, the system is composed of three main actors and their organizations, the context or setting in which they interact, the common ideology held by the actors and the body of rules that govern the system. These are the fundamental components that shape or outline the industrial relations system in which they belong to.
The actors - hierarchy of managers, the hierarchy of workers and the specialized government agencies are the central personas in an industrial system. The interaction and relationship within the three creates the set of rules of the workplace or the principles of the system. Establishment (and development) of the set of rules is the focus of an industrial relations system. The body of rules in the system administers the actors in the place of work. The function of experts and professionals are very crucial in order to establish and govern the body of rules in the system. This are organized and consists of (a) procedure and authority for making rules (b) substantive rules - related to market or budgetary constraints and related to distribution of power in larger society such as compensation, duties and discipline as well as the rules of discipline and (c) administration of rules governing work place and the work community which involves policies of management hierarchy, laws of worker hierarchy, regulations / decisions/ orders by government agencies, collective bargaining agreements and the customs and traditions of work place and work community.
The entire industrial relations system becomes (or mandated to be) stable because of the common ideology or beliefs shared by the three actors of the industrial relations