Not saying you're completely wrong, but counterintuitively these middle management guys are spending most of their time playing LARPs with their peers to secure their projects, and by extent, jobs of people involved.

When an unassuming orc get ambushed by a couple of ambitious elves his budget gets chopped, you get fired, and he has limited time to find an alternative to stay afloat. And he's swimming in a much smaller pond than you. So trust me, they may not seem to bring much to the table on a daily basis, but they definitely play in your team.

Of course when the tide comes they will be the first to jump the ship and switch the team leaving you behind, but that's a different story.