I see the same thing. Granted as an individual contributor I'm only privy to a small fraction of meetings, so it may be not be representative. But they usually start with higher-ups arriving late, groaning about back-to-back meetings, and if we manage to settle the matter before the allotted time, they usually pad the rest of the session with more speculative discussions not on the agenda, ensuring it will be back-to-back with the next one as well.

Who would be afraid of having to sit and twiddle their thumbs for half an hour waiting for the next meeting, if not someone desperate to uphold an image of being an over-worker?