The readings by Kanter and Sosis lay an argument that more successful communities require high standards and practices. I do believe that groups with high requirements and standards are more likely to succeed. Especially when the group is already well-established. For example, Sosis mentioned Greek life as a modern day example… The hazing that many individuals go through would not be tolerated if the individual did not believe that it would be worth the pain in the end. With religion, if you are willing to take up the same beliefs and practices, there is such a strong community waiting for you already. These high standards may be more difficult in a community that is not as well established. A member would need to have a level of certainty about what they are involved with in order to put in an adequate amount of effort.
In groups that follow a more communistic approach, I think power lays in numbers. Too many people and it is easy for individuals to begin to slack off, or not do their fair share. As soon as this begins, it is nearly impossible for the community to stay together for any extended period of time. Additionally, as Kanter suggested, the importance of taking people as they are I believe would help many communities. Paying too much attention to life outside of the community may be harmful in certain situations.