1. Technical managers tend to promote their best technicians into management roles despite all the evidence that it's not a great idea.

2. The best technicians tend to be somewhat introverted and are often uncomfortable with conflict.

3. Managers tend to follow their own comfort when making tactical decisions (and then define their comfort zones as good management practice).

4. Managers often don't feel qualified to decide who's right in a detailed technical battle and fear exposing their own inadequacies. This adds up to the "I'll stay in my office while you guys fight it out" approach.

My take on it is that there are times when this is appropriate and times when it is not.