Our profession doesn't always work the way you describe. Some companies want cogs, some want professionals.

I can't give you advice beyond that, there are too many different circumstances. But in most of the places I've worked, it's been developers, not managers, cutting corners. Sometimes these are good choices, informed by product context and trade-offs. Sometimes it's a perceived urgency that doesn't actually exist. But it's almost never a micromanaging boss asking for something specific.