A222: Transformational Leadership and Tacit Knowledge Transfer in Sports Events

The successful staging of international sports events in China heavily relies on the contributions of numerous short-term paid professionals across various functional departments. However, research on knowledge transfer among these professionals within organizing committees remains scarce. This study aims to address this research gap. Grounded in Social Exchange Theory, it investigates how transformational leadership within organizing committees promotes team trust, thereby fully exploiting and applying the tacit knowledge of these professionals to achieve effective knowledge retention and transfer. Method: This study employs semi-structured interviews to collect data from 20 professionals who have participated in continental or global sport events. NVivo software was used for data coding and theme extraction. Result: The results reveal that leaders' professional competence, benevolence, and organizational procedural justice, as well as professionals' trust propensity, play a crucial role in facilitating knowledge sharing and transfer. Organizing committees should select managers with extensive event management experience, fulfill reward commitments in accordance with the contractual spirit, and provide further career development platforms and opportunities for professionals. This study offers theoretical and practical insights for the operation of international sports events.