Sounds like the company didn’t have enough funds to do their work properly. Cheap hires, fast quotas, silencing, no critique on management. Really sounds like they were struggling to keep afloat. Seen this sort of thing before, setting a standard that is impossible to reach because there is not enough money. Unhappy situation for everyone obviously, I bet the management was also unhappy with the process and structure. Without the money to put in experienced individuals, projects on deadlines, they needed to bluff. I totally understand, rough situation to be in for everyone.