[Vocabulary] step back instead of fixing

[hhtt21]

Would you please explain the "stepped back instead of fixing the culture" in "Current and former Googlers are furious that Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped back instead of fixing the culture."

https://www.businessinsider.com/googlers-angry-page-and-brin-left-instead-of-fixing-culture-2019-12

 

[emsr2d2]

It means they moved themselves further away from the problem (distanced themselves from it) rather than stepping up and fixing it.