Why it is important for groups and teams to have a balance of conformity and deviance and a moderate level of cohesiveness?

Too much deviance creates chaos. Too much conformity severely limits organizational creativity and adaptability to needs for change (thus the failure of the economy of the former USSR).

The optimum management situation would encourage diversity within guidelines and have both change agents and administrators (forces for stability). The organization's culture should include routine means for managing the inherent conflict between change and stability. People need to be rewarded for thoughtful risk taking but within a well designed risk management program.