Middle management likes to talk the talk but not walk the walk. It is full of managers who, as the company continued to grow, took on leadership roles that they aren't equipped to manage. Additionally numerous empty promises were made with no ownership or apology of decisions. Only until the exit interview and hard copy of evidence did the HR team have to apologize on their behalf.
The culture got worse in time. As the company grew, management wasn't sure how to handle that growth.