Type of the article: Research Article
Abstract
Local government units in Egypt operate under high administrative centralization and complex procedures, which raises concerns about internal efficiency, service responsiveness, and citizen satisfaction. This study examines how lean management practices and business process reengineering (BPR) are associated with internal process transparency, service responsiveness, and perceived citizen satisfaction in Cairo and Giza local administrations in Egypt. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 384 employees selected through multi-stage stratified sampling from district, city, and governorate units. Data were collected between January 1 and May 1, 2025, using a structured questionnaire covering five constructs measured on five-point Likert scales, and the proposed relationships were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The measurement model showed good fit (χ²(160) = 285.4, CFI = 0.95, TLI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.045, SRMR = 0.041). The structural results indicate that lean management practices have a strong positive effect on internal process transparency (β = 0.48, p < .001), internal transparency significantly enhances service responsiveness (β = 0.56, p < .001), and service responsiveness strongly predicts citizen satisfaction (β = 0.62, p < .001), while BPR has a small, non-significant direct effect on transparency (β = 0.09, p = .176). The model explains 32% of the variance in internal transparency, 31% in service responsiveness, and 39% in citizen satisfaction. Overall, the findings suggest that lean-based improvements – operating through clearer internal processes and stronger responsiveness – offer a practical pathway for strengthening local governance performance in Egypt, whereas BPR effects appear more contingent and indirect.