diff --git a/avro_to_python/templates/fields/mapField.j2 b/avro_to_python/templates/fields/mapField.j2
index 1826ecf..a62fc9f 100644
--- a/avro_to_python/templates/fields/mapField.j2
+++ b/avro_to_python/templates/fields/mapField.j2
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 {%- block map %}
-    def set_{{name}}(self, values: list) -> None:
-
+    def set_{{name}}(self, values) -> None:
+        if isinstance(values, dict):
+            self.{{name}} = values
+            return
+            
         self.{{name}} = []
         if isinstance(values, list):
             for item in values:
@@ -60,6 +63,6 @@
         else:
             raise TypeError("Field '{{name}}' should be type list")
 
-    def get_{{name}}(self) -> list:
+    def get_{{name}}(self):
         return self.{{name}}
-{%- endblock -%}
\ No newline at end of file
+{%- endblock -%}
diff --git a/avro_to_python/templates/files/record.j2 b/avro_to_python/templates/files/record.j2
index 7ab9a61..df8585d 100644
--- a/avro_to_python/templates/files/record.j2
+++ b/avro_to_python/templates/files/record.j2
@@ -2,8 +2,11 @@
 class {{file.name}}(object):
 
     {% include 'partials/avroSchema.j2'|indent(-4) %}
-    def __init__(self, obj: Union[str, dict, '{{file.name}}']) -> None:
-        if isinstance(obj, str):
+    def __init__(self, obj: Union[str, dict, '{{file.name}}'] = None) -> None:
+        if obj is None:
+            return
+
+        elif isinstance(obj, str):
             obj = json.loads(obj)
 
         elif isinstance(obj, type(self)):
@@ -22,4 +25,4 @@ class {{file.name}}(object):
 {% for name, field in file.fields.items() -%}
 {% include 'fields/fieldFactory.j2' %}
 {% endfor -%}
-{%- endblock -%}
\ No newline at end of file
+{%- endblock -%}