The paper aims to present theoretical and empirical research on investigating the optimization of university department management by preventing job burnout in university teaching staffwhich resulted in increasing their self-efficacy. The research sample was selected with the use of a non-random sampling technique. All foreign languages teachers invited agreed to take part in the study. To collect the empirical data from 205 foreign languages teachers a mixed methods approach was applied. The quantitative data were collected using the questionnaire on general self-efficacy created by R. Schwarzer and M. Jerusalem (1995) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (1996). The qualitative methods included observations and interviews. The obtained data were then analysed by means of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS software).The authors theoretically substantiated and practically demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed programme aimed at optimizing university department management by preventing job burnout in foreign language teachers.