Consumer resource integration in the subsistence marketplace: A comparative study of urban and rural consumers

Ongoing research on resource integration highlights the central role of resources and describes all social and economic actors, including consumers, as resource integrators who actively engaged in experiences. How consumers integrate their resources is particularly important in the subsistence marketplace, which operates in a limited resource setting. The objective of this study is to examine how subsistence consumers integrate resources in achieving their life satisfaction goals. Data was collected using a semi‐structured questionnaire from a sample of 244 urban and rural consumers in Sri Lanka. The results demonstrate that resource integration significantly influences the life satisfaction of subsistence marketplace consumers, although its influence is not uniform across the urban and rural sectors. While “operand” resources are found to have most influence, the low usage of “operant” resources suggests that there is underutilisation of skills, competencies and intangible resources involved in creating value in the subsistence marketplace. The study found substantial differences in the way urban and rural consumers integrate their resources. Contrary to previous research, consumer aspirations had minimal effect on life satisfaction goals of consumers. The study provides implications for marketers to identify the types of consumer resources owned by subsistence marketplace consumers and their usage in different sectors.