Final answer:
Hofstede's study gains validity from its large sample size of 116,000 IBM employees, providing comprehensive data across diverse cultural backgrounds.
Step-by-step explanation:
The significant feature of Hofstede's work that lends the study a great deal of validity is that it surveyed 116,000 people. The large sample size allows for more generalizable and reliable data, helping to reduce biases that might occur with smaller or less diverse samples. Moreover, the participants were employees from IBM, which, being a large multinational corporation, likely included a diverse group in terms of nationality and cultural backgrounds, facilitating a more comprehensive analysis of cross-cultural values and behaviors.