This looks like a cultural problem where the top brass either believe in strong-arming developers or aren't aware about the dreadful impact of not following pro

This looks like a cultural problem where the top brass either believe in strong-arming developers or aren't aware about the dreadful impact of not following processes (code review etc.) Your expectations are perfectly reasonable. I think you should consider explaining to everyone (including non-developers) how bad things can go if these practices continue.