The evolution of management thought reflects the changing nature of organisations, technology, workforce expectations, and the business environment. Classical, behavioural, systems, and contingency approaches have each contributed unique principles that continue to influence managerial practice. Contemporary digital organisations operate in an environment characterised by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, remote work, digital transformation, data-driven decision-making, cybersecurity challenges, and global collaboration. While no single management approach is sufficient to address these complexities, each provides valuable insights that can be integrated into a comprehensive managerial framework for hybrid and AI-enabled workplaces. The classical approach to management emerged during the Industrial Revolution when organisations focused primarily on improving productivity and operational efficiency. Major contributors such as Frederick W. Taylor, Henri Fayol, and Max Weber developed principles that emphasised scientific analysis, administrative functions, and bureaucratic structures. Taylor's Scientific Management advocated standardisation of work, division of labour, scientific selection of employees, performance measurement, and financial incentives. In digital organisations, these principles remain relevant in process optimisation, workflow automation, software development methodologies, robotic process automation, and performance analytics. AI-powered systems often employ scientific management concepts by analysing productivity metrics, identifying bottlenecks, and recommending process improvements. Henri Fayol's administrative principles, including planning, organising, commanding, coordinating, and controlling, continue to form the foundation of managerial functions. Digital managers still perform these essential functions, although they use advanced technologies such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), collaboration platforms, predictive analytics, and AI-assisted planning tools. Max Weber's bureaucratic model emphasised formal authority, rules, documentation, and merit-based recruitment. Contemporary organisations continue to require governance structures, compliance mechanisms, cybersecurity protocols, and standard operating procedures, particularly in regulated industries such as banking, healthcare, and government services. However, the classical approach has several limitations in digital organisations. It assumes stable environments, rigid hierarchies, and predictable work processes, whereas digital businesses operate in highly dynamic and uncertain markets. Excessive formalisation may reduce innovation, agility, and employee creativity. Knowledge workers require autonomy, flexibility, and collaborative problem-solving rather than strict supervision. AI-enabled workplaces also demand continuous learning instead of repetitive standardised tasks. Therefore, while classical principles remain valuable for operational efficiency and governance, they cannot independently address the challenges of modern organisations. The behavioural approach emerged as a response to the mechanistic nature of classical management. Researchers such as