What reasoning error is present when attributing increased unethical conduct to Martha Ferkol's joining the company?

The reasoning error present when attributing increased unethical conduct to Martha Ferkol's joining the company is known as Post Hoc. This type of fallacy occurs when it is assumed that because one event follows another, the first event must be the cause of the second. In this case, the increased unethical conduct is being attributed directly to Martha's presence in the company simply because it happened after she joined.

This line of reasoning overlooks other potential factors that could contribute to unethical behavior within the company, such as existing corporate culture, leadership decisions, or other external pressures. It simplistically correlates her arrival with a negative trend without substantiating that her joining was the actual cause of the observed increase in unethical conduct. Thus, it exemplifies the Post Hoc fallacy, as causation is improperly inferred from sequence alone.