The core conflict is this: The engineer is trying to optimize/normalize his free time by acknowledging quality issues, the management is trying to optimize the

The core conflict is this: The engineer is trying to optimize/normalize his free time by acknowledging quality issues, the management is trying to optimize their income by sweeping them under the rug. The engineer is ultimately liable for the problem. Quality is insured with his reputation and free time. The business guys almost always leave at 4:00pm and their bonuses are based on a metric not related to quality.