The Swedish press (Svenska Dagbladet among else) commented on O'Leary's "monkey tricks" today. Attracting the attention by all means is not necessarily good in a final conclusion, they say. Richard Wahlund, professor at the Stockholm School of Economics, argues that O'Leary's provocative style could be detrimental to his company. Too much arrogance creates the strongly negative image that could have consequences in the longer term. MOL's provocative jargon is harmful, because it sets up a risk to Ryanair's brand. Most businesses could eventually run into trouble if they do not cultivate trust. As long as everything works fine, the so-called risk of reputation could be easily deferred. However, the insufficient confidence could have very disastrous consequences for the future of the company e.g. in case of a sudden event (like a major accident). According to prof. Wahlund, having a CEO who heckles everything from the authorities and the media to customers and staff could easily backfire anytime in the future.
Read in Swedish:
svd.se