Article Collaborative technologies and knowledge management in psychiatric hospitals in South West Nigeria Oluyemi Folorunsho Ayanbode Psychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta, Nigeria Williams E. Nwagwu University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria Abstract This study examined the relationships among KM (knowledge creation, sharing), professional development, therapy team’s (TT’s) operation modes, interaction modes and collaborative technologies’ use determinants. A sample survey research design and mixed methods approach that combined quantitative research methods guided the study. Quantitative data was collected from 283 therapy team members in two psychiatric hospitals in Nigeria using a self-administered questionnaire. SPSS version 22 and SPSS (AMOS) version 23 were used to analyse the data. Knowledge creation and knowledge sharing impacted significantly on professional develop- ment. Therapy team members’ Intellectual capability, increased innovation, disciplinary specialisation and professional learning are dependent on their creation and sharing of knowledge. Disciplinary socialisation, transdisciplinary socialisation, collaboration and communication summarise their day-to-day operations. Col- laboration and knowledge creation and sharing have a very strong relationship. Working together with colleagues is directly related with creation and sharing of both tacit and explicit knowledge. Learning by practical experience, brainstorming of ideas, sharing of clinical information and best practice of medical profession are positively impacted by collaboration. Documentation of such knowledge is needed to promote its sharing and safeguard knowledge loss in psychiatric hospitals. Keywords collaborative technologies, knowledge management, Nigeria, psychiatric hospitals Submitted: 22 July, 2019; Accepted: 27 November, 2019. Introduction and background to the study Hospitals are knowledge intensive organisations where clinical and other experts collaborate to render services, and share clinical and other information and best practices. Hospitals rely on both the tacit knowl- edge of their clinical and nonclinical experts and on documented best practices to perform their functions. Efforts are constantly made to use various technolo- gies to capture and share both tacit and explicit knowledge internal and external to hospitals. Sharing of information, knowledge and best practices are embodiments of knowledge management, and colla- borative technologies are enablers of KM activities. Knowledge management is the deliberate and sys- tematic coordination of people, technology, pro- cesses, and organisational structure in order to create and add value through harnessing the knowl- edge assets (Gholami, Hasanzadeh and Soheili 2012, Chen 2013). It involves adding value to oneself and to the organisation through exchange of ideas, Corresponding author: Williams E. Nwagwu, Department of Information Science, University of South Africa,1 Prilla Street, Pretoria, South Africa. Phone: þ2345030494806. Email: willieezi@yahoo.com Information Development 1–22 ª The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0266666919895563 journals.sagepub.com/home/idv