Involuntary servitude
No pre-industrial society, including democracies, escaped involuntary servitude, from various feudal arrangements to outright chattel slavery. Someone had to do hard labor; coercion forced "someone" to do it, sharpening class divides. This was not so long ago. It still affects attitudes at work.
Almost unconsciously, many managers assume that if they pay someone, they "own" them, but they must be coerced to do any hard or unpleasant task. All subordinates should always be aware who "the boss" is, so they intimidate people, probably using verbal abuse rather than physical abuse, instilling a culture of fear. Once deeply engrained, it's hard to be rid a culture of fear. Those who once worked in such an atmosphere are as likely to "stay out of trouble" as to use initiative at work.
A mild variation of this is the parent-child relationship. Managers are the parents; subordinates are children that must be controlled. Control is through budgets and IT menus.
A person treated as a child is apt to behave as one, not taking much real responsibility, but delighting in "foiling the system." Even among subordinate managers, tight budget control is apt to be used as a crutch. Nothing will be done "that is not in the budget," or if something was not done, it's because "it wasn't in the budget," or the system wouldn't let me (or us).
In organizations doing complex work that requires top skill and judgement, we have to get beyond this.