ER: much broader & exists in both unionised and non-unionised companies - HRM

IR: used more from a unionised perspective involving collective bargaining and is seen to be a subset of ER

Unions are seen as an unwelcome intrusion, there is complete loyalty of employees

Assumption of a common purpose and shared goals, with no fundamental conflict of interest between labour and capital

Conflict is an aberration, the result of poor communication and management

Does not account for uneven distribution of power among employees and employers in the decision-making process

Conflict is inevitable; there is competing interests between the parties

Power is diffused among the main bargaining groups within the employment relationship: no one group dominates

Trade unions are viewed as providing a mechanism that legitimates employees' rights to bargain within the workplace

The State is regarded as an impartial entity, primary function is to protect the 'public interest'

Power is not evenly diffused (it is typically wieghted towards management in the workplace)

Emphasis upoon rational approach to conflict management - that conflict can be readily managed through rules, regulations and processes

Fundamental and inherent conflicting interests between management and workers

Uneven distribution of power between bargaining groups, within the workplace and society

Preoccupied with conflict - obscures any cooperation or shared goals between management and workers