I think the word you are searching for is bully, jerk is too kind. In a small, owner controlled company then the CEO sets the tone. Most tech companies these days have taken on outside investment to some extent and in that case it is often the investors who make the decisions and demand results. One thing I can state with absolute certainty is that as long as the CEO is delivering results then he/she could smack down every employee and berate them to kingdom come and the investors would be cheering and demanding more. Now you could argue that over the long term that type of behavior is unsustainable and most would agree, but who cares about the long term when the plan is to exit with an IPO or acquisition in the next 18-24 months? Employees will take the abuse if they feel a windfall is coming their way and recruits will line up for a job despite a bad reputation.