[bluGill]

Upper management wants to get things done (and their golf game/whatever they do). They see software is expensive, late, and buggy.

Each middle manager wants to be the person who delivers and thus gets a promotion (eventually leading to upper management). If they eliminate other middle managers on the way that is okay (depending on politics of course).

[randomdata]

Yes, you bring up a good point about the other practical issue with adopting Agile. It says that the developers and the business people need to work together daily, as becomes necessary when there isn't a manager to act as the go-between, but as you point out the business people in reality just want to play golf, not become shared participants in the development process.

But, again, Agile is pretty clear that it requires special people. It was never meant for everyone. To observe it in a light where it is applicable to all organizations violates its very existence.