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harnessing vs leveraging

English translation: making use of what you have vs. enhancing or multiplying

11:01 Mar 12, 2005
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Bus/Financial - International Org/Dev/Coop / vocabulary
English term or phrase: harnessing vs leveraging
HARNESSING EXISTING FINANCING FACILITIES TO PROMOTE .....

vs

LEVERAGING EXISTING FINANCING FACILITIES TO PROMOTE.....

I have to translate theses 2 sentences (two different paragraph headers) and my understanding is that there's very little difference between these two verbs. (the context does not really help) (the bits after ... are different but are definitely helpless - acronyms, programmes, countries...)

Could someone clarify the matter for me please?

TIA
Michel A.
Local time: 18:12
Selected answer:making use of what you have vs. enhancing or multiplying
Explanation:
To harness means to capture existing capability.

Leveraging implies making more out of what is there.

In the financial sense, leveraging is "The use of credit or borrowed funds to improve one's speculative capacity and increase the rate of return from an investment, as in buying securities on margin."

Generally it means "To improve or enhance: 'It makes more sense to be able to leverage what we [public radio stations] do in a more effective way to our listeners” (Delano Lewis).' "
(from dictionary.com)
Selected response from:

JeffFish (X)
Local time: 00:12
Grading comment
Thanks a lot
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
3 +10making use of what you have vs. enhancing or multiplying
JeffFish (X)
5Worth considering ...
user25 (X)
4to harness = to exploit versus to leverage= to increase or multiply resources
Carmen Schultz


  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +10
making use of what you have vs. enhancing or multiplying


Explanation:
To harness means to capture existing capability.

Leveraging implies making more out of what is there.

In the financial sense, leveraging is "The use of credit or borrowed funds to improve one's speculative capacity and increase the rate of return from an investment, as in buying securities on margin."

Generally it means "To improve or enhance: 'It makes more sense to be able to leverage what we [public radio stations] do in a more effective way to our listeners” (Delano Lewis).' "
(from dictionary.com)

JeffFish (X)
Local time: 00:12
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks a lot

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Craig Meulen: Exactly. The two words are both images so to understand the difference think of the "original" meaning. A harness goes round something that exists already. A lever helps you to move something bigger. So leverage is using limited resources to access more.
13 mins
  -> Thanks for the additional explanation
agree  Derek Gill Franßen
33 mins
agree  Craft.Content
35 mins
agree  zaphod
2 hrs
agree  Balaban Cerit
2 hrs
agree  Alexander Demyanov
6 hrs
agree  humbird: Yes, maintaining status quo v. increasing status quo (or your resource).
9 hrs
agree  Alp Berker
12 hrs
agree  tappi_k
1 day 56 mins
agree  Can Altinbay
2 days 4 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
to harness = to exploit versus to leverage= to increase or multiply resources


Explanation:
Harness: to exploit, in the sense of taking advantage of (of resources); or to mobilize funds (loans, money, etc.).
Example of common usage: harnessing of natural resources such as the "harnessing of river," is a way to exploit a nature resource.

Leverage: sto increase or multiply resources, etc. (as by means of a loan); exercising influence; to produce a multiplying effect.

Ex. of common usages in financial terms: Leveraged buyout and Leveraged acquisition


I consulted A Glossary of Selected Terms used in International Organizations (by M . Orellana)
I hope this helps

Carmen Schultz
Local time: 17:12
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish, Native in EnglishEnglish
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13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Worth considering ...


Explanation:
Are the two sentences in exactly the same context? The same paragraph?
Harnessing financial facilities where the context implies cooperation (planned or existing) with another partner/department/person/etc., means joining them together to achieve a mutual goal (promote ...).

Levereging them may hence further imply using this new-gained power to promote ...

user25 (X)
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